


Blood Is Thicker Than Water

by obikin



Series: Blood Is Thicker Than Water [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Developing Friendships, F/M, Gen, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV First Person, POV Original Character, Rivals to Lovers, Sleepovers, Slow Burn, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Waterbender OC, endgame bolin x oc, hand holding, long fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 108,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26186407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obikin/pseuds/obikin
Summary: Taro thought that when she left the Southern Water Tribe, that would be the last time she would ever see her childhood friend Korra. That was, until she ran into the Avatar at a pro-bending match over a year later. Will she be able face her fears, and open her heart?OC-centric story.
Relationships: Bolin (Avatar)/Original Character(s), Bolin (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Korra (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s) (briefly)
Series: Blood Is Thicker Than Water [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001325
Comments: 67
Kudos: 124





	1. A Leaf In the Wind - A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for checking out my story! Just a couple housekeeping things:
> 
> This fic is told in first person POV from my OC, Taro. 
> 
> As of right now this fic isn't beta read, and it's pretty long. I'm going to try and go through and fix errors when I catch them on re-reads, but no promises. Also, I'm posting this mostly for my own enjoyment! I don't mind criticism about characterization or setting issues, but if you dislike the premise (that this is an OC/canon story, that my OC is "overpowered", whatever else) this may not be the story for you.
> 
> And finally, summary and title are subject to change. If you have any suggestions, please shoot them my way, I'm notoriously horrible at writing summaries in particular.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro meets an old friend while she's collecting intel on her pro-bending competitors.

The roar of the ring was almost unbelievable. I still wasn’t used to it, even after all the games I had played. It was exhilarating, but at the same time, almost suffocating.

The roar only grew louder as I removed the helmet from my head, my ears pounding from the adrenaline. My hands even shook as I untied the padding from my uniform, but that could have been from the freezing water that still clung to my person. Once the pads were removed, I took a second to bend the water out of my clothes. Ah, much better.

It still wasn’t ideal. I had taken a dip in the big pool one too many times in that match. I could stand my ground well enough, but something about my team just didn’t click. Even though this was my second year in the ring, no experienced team would have me, so I was stuck with Haku and Lee. The Catgators weren’t exactly a pro bending team that took the sport by storm – I was honestly shocked we had made it this far, but I wasn’t about to give up yet.

“We’ll never make it to the tournament,” Haku sighed, all doom and gloom as per usual. Well, apparently _he_ was ready to give up. I frowned at him as he looked down, his bangs covering his brown eyes.

“Aw, c’mon man. We can do this. We just need a little more practice. And maybe some positivity?” I offered, slapping his shoulder. Both of those were hard to come by. Haku was always doom and gloom – before he even entered the ring he had this air about him that he was already prepared to lose, and It wasn’t just a downer for me and Lee – it made him slow and sloppy, because he already expected failure. And getting the team together for more practice? That was a joke. Lee, while he did his best in the ring, always dipped as soon as the match was over to hang out with his girlfriend. He had been to maybe three practices this entire season, and he had already made his escape tonight, so I couldn’t even nag him about it.

“What’s there to be positive about… we suck,” Haku groaned it in a monotone before resting his head in his hands. I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but I’m sure it looked forced as I patted him gingerly on the shoulder

“Oh, come on, we’re not that bad…” I tried. Who was I kidding. We barely won that last match.

“We never train together and you’re the only formally trained member of the team.”

“OK, yeah, that’s true, but-“

“We have to play the Fire Ferrets to qualify for the tournament.”

“Alright, sure, but we might be able to-“

“Bolin. Will. Destroy. Me.” Haku wasn’t crying, but his face had gone completely white. I grimaced. Granted, Haku wasn’t wrong – Bolin was a much stronger earthbender than he was, but the despair on his face was absolutely terrifying.

“Hey! That’s no way to think about things! You said I was the only one who was formally trained? Well, neither of the Ferret brothers were formally trained! You stand a chance! C’mon now, why don’t you get showered and get a good night’s rest. I’ll try to get Lee in for a good round of sparring tomorrow, don’t worry about a thing, Haku.”

Haku directed a withering look at me, still petrified at the thought of facing the pro bending team that had advanced the quickest this season. I tried to keep up my positive front, but ice was creeping into my veins. It would take a miracle for the Catgators to take out the Fire Ferrets – they may be a rookie team, but they had a spirit that I knew my team could never stand up against. But dammit, we could at least try.

It wasn’t like all was completely lost. While the bending brothers meshed unlike any benders I had ever seen, their waterbender wasn’t the best out there – and he had been slipping more and more recently. I would have to watch their match tonight carefully. Maybe I could exploit that to our advantage -

I was lost in thought as I flicked the last few bits of water from my uniform down the drain, making my way towards the players-only viewing platform. I only looked up once I heard voices on the platform, and once I looked up – my heart caught in my throat.

“This is amazing! I’ve always wanted to see a pro bending match in person!” The tanned girl balled her fists, blue eyes shining with amazement as she looked out across the arena. But when she glanced back to look at her companion. I knew for certain that it was her.

“Korra?”

The name spilled out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I shouldn’t have said anything – I should have just turned around and sat in the stands for this match. But it was too late now.

Korra turned, her smile falling as it was replaced by a look of confusion, her brows scrunched together before realization hit and it returned in full force.

“Taro? Is it really you?”

Korra hurdled towards me, and before I could shout “wait-what are you-“ I was wrapped in Korra’s full force bear hug, sweeping me off my feet and into the air. I couldn’t tell if she was happy to see me or trying to forcibly remove the air from my lungs.

“Oh god, air, air-“ I barely spat out as the Avatar tried to crush my ribs. I tried to sound lighthearted but I was actually half-terrified. Luckily, Korra just laughed at my concern and set me down gently. I tried to laugh as well when we pulled away, but it was more of a nervous titter, accompanied by a cough as the air returned to my lungs.

“Sorry – I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Bolin interjected, an eyebrow raised. I had forgotten he was there, but it made sense. Bolin was always inviting his weird fangirls to the observation platform – Korra had probably convinced him to let her up, and I knew Bolin wasn’t one to turn a lady down. Even though he was an overconfident doofus about it.

“Yeah – “ I started, but I paused, unsure how to go about explaining my complicated relationship (friendship? Acquaintanceship? Play-mate-ship?) with my former neighbor. Luckily, Korra stepped in instead. 

“- Taro and I were best friends back in the South Pole!” Korra interjected. I winced. It… wasn’t what I expected Korra to say. Did she really still see me as a friend? A _best_ friend, even? I felt my heart warm at that, and I couldn’t keep the joy off my face. Maybe it wasn’t as complicated as I had thought?

“I haven’t seen you since you left! I listened to your matches on the radio all the time!” Korra laughed. “Are you playing next?”

I shook my head, chuckling a little as I blushed. She had listened to my games? I gestured to Bolin instead, hoping that maybe I could direct Korra’s attention back onto the earthbender. “No, I played the last match. The Fire Ferrets are up next, I’m just here to watch.”

“Here to try and figure out how to beat us, you mean,” Bolin interjected, frowning and pointing a finger in my direction. I threw up my hands lazily, the slow smirk feeling much more comfortable on my face. This relationship, at least, came easily.

“Now, come on, it’s not a crime to watch your competition’s matches. I thought you _liked_ girls watching you from the stands,” I snorted, teasing him, and Bolin crossed his arms and turned away, mumbling something that sounded like “not when they’re trying to throw me out of the ring later.”

Korra laughed at us both, a loud, unashamed thing, before she practically dislocated my shoulder by slamming her arm around me.

“C’mon, Taro, don’t tease him-“ Korra started, and I was perfectly prepared for the chiding that was to come, but I was saved by the bell. Or, more accurately, by the very pretty sight that was Mako. Korra caught him from the corner of her gaze and I could physically see the train of thought leave her head as she tracked his movements. It took everything I had to not snort at the all-too common sight

Every single girl who liked men in some capacity had a crush on Mako. Even most of Bolin’s fangirls had a crush on his brother as well, which was kind of sad in a sense, but I couldn’t really blame them. I doubt that I could ever deal with Mako for an extended period of time, with his stupid gruff “I don’t have the time or energy to bother talking to you” crap, but I had to admit… if he asked me on a date, I wouldn’t say _no_. Who could blame Korra for getting caught up in him so easily?

“Who’s that?” Korra asked, trying to keep the breathy quality out of her voice. Bolin spoke up before I could, stepping between her line of sight and his brother.

“Ah, that’s my brother Mako – he’s our firebender!”

“Mako…” Korra breathed, and it was so cliché that I couldn’t stifle my chuckle, even as I tried to cover my hand with my mouth. Korra noticed instantly, and leveled me with a scandalized pout as I tried to get myself together and stop laughing at her expense.

“C’mon Korra! The match is about to start and you want a nice spot away from this critic to enjoy the show,” Bolin shot me a venomous glare before he tried to coerce Korra to the railing with a shocking show of bright teeth and a well-placed eyebrow wiggle. He couldn’t catch her attention though – as soon as Mako walked towards the elevator, her entire demeanor lightened and she waved in his direction.

“Hey Mako! Good luck out there!”

Mako, as per usual, didn’t even spare her a passing glance, instead leveling his brother with a low glare.

“I thought I told you to stop bringing your fans up here.” He waited a moment, then shot me a similar glare. “And don’t you have somewhere better to be?”

I clutched at my heart, feigning offense as I scoffed. “How rude!” I cried, sarcasm dripping off my every word, but really I was just trying to stifle my own blush. Mako usually doesn’t even acknowledge my existence when I come to gather intelligence – it was almost always Bolin who would give me a hard time. And when you gain attention from someone who doesn’t spare you a passing glance… well, it’s invigorating. 

Mako huffed and stormed off, grabbing Bolin by the collar of his uniform and dragging him along.

“Wish me luck!” he grinned and waved at Korra, goofy smile never leaving him.

“Good luck!” she called back, waving just as enthusiastically.

I took the opportunity to chime in with my own words of encouragement and yelled “yeah, break a leg!” in their general direction, which earned a shocked and appalled expression from Bolin. It made me giggle as I turned away. I hoped it was enough for me to at least knock him off his game, even for a moment. If the Fire Ferrets lost today, we would never have to worry about facing them in the first place.

“So, this is your life now?” Korra all but whispered, staring out across the arena in awe. I followed her gaze, and took it all in myself. It must be overwhelming for her – I know it was for me, when I first left our village. The Southern Tribe had expanded since the 100 Year War – my grandmother had told me stories of how the South Pole used to be nothing more than a couple igloos and the occasional watchtower. When I left, there were towns and huge buildings and even a ferris wheel. But that was nothing compared to Republic City. The Southern Tribe was quiet, even when it was busy. It was as if the ice absorbed the chatter, and there was an unseen force that softened the voices on the streets. The City was the exact opposite, especially in the arena – it was like a deluge of noise, of lights, of people. I almost couldn’t believe it myself, when I would enter the ring and look out at all the people.

“Some of it, yeah,” I started, shrugging and leaning against the railing with her. “You know, pro bending doesn’t pay enough – at least for my team – to make a living off of. This is just a nighttime gig. I’ve worked at a couple different factories over the year I’ve been here,” I tried to let Korra know that the City wasn’t all bright lights and easy fame. She was the Avatar, so of course she would never have to worry about making a decent living, but still. The decision to come here wasn’t something I made just because I wanted to become a pro bender and chase a crazy dream.

“But this is amazing! You’re so lucky, Taro,” Korra smiled at her, and I returned it awkwardly. This was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping Korra wouldn’t say. She didn’t understand – well, more accurately, she didn’t know. I sighed. Better change the subject.

“So, what brings you to Republic City? I thought you were going to learn airbending in your… compound,” I hesitated on the last word. Was that the wrong thing to say? I mean, that’s what it was – or maybe prison would have been more accurate. Once Korra moved behind those walls, it was like she had moved to a different planet.

Korra huffed, blowing a stray hair out of her face as she leaned heavily against the railing.

“Yeah, but Tenzen refused! He said he had too much going on here to leave Republic City, and that my training would have to wait. But I was ready! So I ran away-“

“You ran away?” My eyebrows shot up. I thought Korra had everything she ever wanted – she had masters, a loving family, the white lotus to protect her – I had no idea she would ever even think about running away. A lot must have changed over the years.

“Yeah, and Tenzen was gonna send me back, but I convinced him to let me stay and learn airbending here,” Korra smiled soft, looking towards the water. I smiled with her, a natural reflex. I could tell she was grateful to Tenzen for that.

“That’s great, Korra! I’m so glad you can finally learn it.” Korra had been groaning about wanting to learn airbending back when she was twelve, so it was about time.

“Ugh,” Korra slumped even further against the railings. “It’s a mess. I can’t get it at all! Today Tenzen was talking about ‘be the leaf’ or something and I just – ugh. It’s horrible,” she complained, pouting down at the ring. I chuckled at her.

“I’m sure you’ll get it. You’re the Avatar, after all.”

Korra’s brow unfurrowed, but she sighed, still staring at the water.

“Let’s just watch the match,” she offered. I settled in beside her, throwing her a sideways glance. The Korra I remembered wasn’t one to be ashamed or shrug off the fact that she was the Avatar – she was always so proud of that, always loved to talk about it. She must be really struggling.

The match was a nail-biter. I initially thought it would be cut and dry – the Tigerdillos were famously erratic – they could have a five game win streak followed by four straight losses. Their ability to mesh with each other changed so often that it was dizzying to watch. But tonight, it looked like something was more off about the Fire Ferrets. I knew that Hasook, their waterbender, was the weak link, but tonight it seemed less like he was weak and more like he was an entirely different person. It was almost painful to watch him bend, and I found myself secretly hoping that he would find a second wind just so that I didn’t feel his secondhand embarrassment.

But even with that disappointment, the Fire Ferrets put up a good fight. I was rooting for the Tigerdillos, of course, but, like every match of their I had seen, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how well the team worked together, especially the brothers.

Korra didn’t catch on to the subtleties that I did, but it was refreshing to hear her cheer with the rest of the crowd, or for her to shake my shoulder and exclaim that a certain move was “so cool!” because, honestly? Yeah, it was. It wouldn’t be nearly as cool when Mako would be aiming that same move square at my chest in the next game, and I shuddered at the thought, but it was still a cool move.

I leaned over the railing just as far as Korra did during the final moments of the match. Hasook and Bolin were in the drink, and it was Mako versus the world. My face lit up with anticipation – this was it! All the Tigerdillos had to do was defend themselves and run the timer out. It was a guaranteed win if they would just wait it out.

But why would they do that? I groaned as I watched their earthbender toss disc after disc at Mako, grunting with the effort. No! That’s what Mako wanted.

“Just run out the clock!” I yelled, while Korra screamed “go Mako!” beside me. And go he did. He knew exactly what he was doing – knew that the Tigerdillos wanted the glory of a knockout, and he was practically taunting them. But he was quick, and he knew how to conserve his energy. Soon enough his opponents were out of juice and all he had to do was pick them off one by one. I cried out with each fallen bender, clenching my jaw as I flitted between the game and the clock. If only the last Tigerdillo could hold out –

And, he was in the pool. Mako grinned his lazy, cool guy smirk, and the game was won. Or lost, in my case. I slumped over the railing in defeat. We really _did_ have to take on the Fire Ferrets.

“Woohoo!” Bolin yelled. He had taken the first elevator to the platform, and he hopped off of it before it even docked properly. I narrowed my eyes at his glee.

“That was amazing!” Korra replied, giving Bolin a high five that he readily accepted.

“Ugh,” I groaned, probably looking like I was going to be sick. Bolin caught my gaze and just trained that 1000-watt smile on me. It practically blinded me with his smugness.

“See you next week, Catgators!” He gave me a little salute as he punched the air and skipped over to his locker, and I groaned louder. God, he was infuriating.

And while Korra had been relatively excited to see Bolin, she lit up like a string of garden lights when Mako arrived, waving at him excitedly.

“Great game!” Korra congratulated. I stood back, still brooding.

Unfortunately for Korra, Mako was too busy berating his teammate to pay her any mind.

“We almost lost the match because of you, what’s your problem?” Mako demanded, pressing Hasook. The waterbender shot Mako a venomous look at stormed off the platform.

“Get off my case! We won, didn’t we?”

“Barely! You better straighten yourself out before next week!”

Korra tried to ignore the tension surrounding Mako and Hasook, and tried one last time to initiate a friendly conversation with the guy. 

“You guys were incredible out there! Especially you Mako – wow, a hat trick!” she radiated excitement and joy, and while I rolled my eyes, it wasn’t out of malice. Yeah, I was pissed that the Ferrets had won, but that wasn’t Korra’s fault. She was allowed to be excited that the team she was rooting for won.

“Oh, you’re still here?” Mako replied, throwing her a blank look before stomping over to his locker. I flinched. Oh, ouch. That was rude, even for Mako.

“Oh, you’re still a jerk?” she replied, mostly under her breath. I grinned, chuckling, even thought it was nervous because damn, Mako. Way to make a girl feel special.

“Yeah, he really is,” I grumbled in reply, and at least that earned a weak grin from Korra.

“Eh, don’t mind him, he’s just… intense,” Bolin slid over, still wiping his brow with a spare towel as he tried to explain away his brother’s offputting comments. I wasn’t buying it for a second, but Korra took it as a chance to change the subject, shrugging it off.

“Anyway, the match was amazing. I never realized you guys moved so differently! I’ve never seen anyone move like that before while bending – it’s like a whole new style! Could you show me some moves?”

Korra was right, and I nodded at her observation. I had trained with her at the South Pole – well, we had trained together when it came to waterbending. The fast paced arena fighting style was worlds away from traditional waterbending, and that’s not even considering how different it was from earthbending. I had seen firsthand how difficult it was for some classically trained earthbenders to adapt to the pro bending style.

“Absolutely!” Bolin replied with a wide smile and a bounce in his step. “But – hmm. I don’t know how well my earthbending will translate to your waterbending… as much as I hate to say it,” he shot a glare my way, jealous of the fact that I and Korra shared an element. Oh boy, the poor thing doesn’t even know, does he?

“Actually, I’m an earthbender,” Korra replied, crossing her arms and looking smug. It took everything in my power not to snort at how quick Bolin’s bushy brows shot up his face.

“Oh! Oh that’s great! Sorry I just – I assumed, with the whole water tribe get-up, that you were a water tribe gal…“ he stumbled, trying not to seem like he had made assumptions when he clearly had.

“No, you’re right, I am a waterbender. And a firebender.” Korra’s smug expression did nothing to help calm the oncoming fit of hysterics. I was already covering my mouth with one hand

“Hmm. Huh. Yeah – I am. Very confused right now. Taro-“ he turned to me for an explanation, but I had to hold a finger out to him and shake my head as I tried my best to compose myself and answer the idiot’s question.

“You’re the Avatar. And I’m an idiot.”

At Mako’s statement, I couldn’t help myself anymore. The laughter came loud and unabashed and only worsened when Korra replied with “Both of those are, in fact, true,” and I couldn’t stop. Korra joined in too, grinning and chuckling at the poor brothers’ expense.

“No. Way.” Bolin whispered, shocked. “The! Avatar!” He pointed at Korra, who still stood as smug as ever, looking to both Mako and I for support. I just waved him off, still laughing too much. Oh man, did these boys have a lot to learn.

X

“Show me what you got!” Bolin shouted, nodding at Korra in encouragement. She nodded back and threw a few of the earth discs at the net, landing all the shots perfectly. I leaned against the nearest support beam, and I raised a single eyebrow in shock. Korra’s earthbending had improved a lot since the last time I had seen her – I mean, logically, I knew she had to have improved by leaps and bounds – but it was still astounding to see in person.

“That was great!” Bolin started, “But you’re way too stiff for pro bending. When you’re out there, you have to be light on your feet, like this-“

Bolin took Korra’s place, and demonstrated with a series of quick earthbending jabs. I was lucky I got an up close visual – as cocky and girl-crazy as Bolin was, he really excelled at bending. His form was solid and he switched stances effortlessly, light on his feet and totally in control. When he finally planted his feet and jabbed the two discs at the net, it only took a split second. He was nothing like Haku – who was adaptable, but hopelessly slow in comparison.

“You need to be on your toes, and at the last second, dig in and make your move,” Bolin taught with a smile. But when he noticed me watching, the line of his mouth hardened.

“You’re taking notes, aren’t you,” he asked me, and I held up my hands in innocence, willing myself not to blush. It’s always embarrassing when you’re caught.

“Hey, you’ll get to see me teach Korra the waterbending techniques. We’re fair and square,” I tried to barter with him while I gathered myself. There was no reason for me to be so flustered – I was watching his _footwork_ , it wasn’t like I was staring at him for no reason.

“Plus, she’s my friend! I want her here,” Korra countered, and I felt my cheeks warm even further. Great. “Now, watch me! Is this what you’re talking about?”

She changed her stance, moving more fluidly until she finally hunkered down and threw the discs in sharp jabs like Bolin. I whistled low at the adaptation. Seems I forgot just how formidable Korra was – the way she learned, and how quickly – that was enough to impress anyone. Remind me to never get in the ring with her if I can help it

“Hey, that was awesome! You’re a natural at this!” Bolin cheered, and Korra lit up.

“Not bad,” Mako commented from the back wall, noncommittally.

“What’s it take to impress him?” Korra lamented, jabbing a finger at Mako. I huffed air out of my nose, quirked my lip into a half smirk. That was another thing I loved about Korra – she wasn’t afraid to speak up when someone was a jerk.

“What? I said not bad,” Mako countered, at least displaying some emotion as his eyebrows scrunched together. He shook his head, using his foot to push himself off the wall, his hands still in his pockets. “Anyway, it’s getting late. Nice to meet you… Avatar,” he nodded towards Korra, before focusing on Bolin. “I’ll be upstairs, bro.”

Bolin nodded, and Korra looked at him with wide eyes. “Wait, do you guys live here?”

That caught my attention. “Wait, you _what_?”

“Yeah!” Bolin exclaimed, glancing excitedly at Korra, but his enthusiasm trailing when he turned to me. I frowned. What? It wasn’t like I was going to rob him or something.

“We live in the attic. I mean it’s… it’s not fancy, but we have amazing views of the city skyline,” this last comment was directed at Korra, almost with an insinuation in his tone. I looked away, doing my best not to gag at the obvious come on. I felt my cheeks heat, if only at the audacity Bolin had to bring that up while I was still in the room. Nasty! Maybe I should have followed Mako’s lead and left when I had the chance.

“Anyway, back to bending,” I interjected, trying to clear the air of whatever messed up flirting Bolin was trying to start. “How about I show you some waterbending moves I use in the ring?”

“Sounds great!” Korra replied, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she moved out of the way and I replaced her, lining up to show her some of my favorite combos.

The training lesson lasted for a half hour more, before I decided to tap out and head back to my small studio apartment. Bolin’s withering glances were getting to be too much as he tried to psychically extract me from the premises so he could get Korra alone. Finally I ended up giving in, but unfortunately for him, Korra followed suit directly afterwards. I tried to hide my smirk, but I’m not sure how well it worked out.

“I gotta get back to air temple island. Tenzen isn’t supposed to know I’m here,” Korra whispered the last part, giggling a bit at the end. I chuckled. I still didn’t know what to think of Korra at this point. She was kind, and fun to hang around, but… had she really just moved past everything so easily? It made me uneasy, but that unease was outweighed by the sheer joy that seeing her again brought me.

“I have to get home too. Goodnight! And good luck with airbending!” I called as we parted ways. I wondered if I would ever see Korra at the pro bending arena for the next game. And If I did – would she be rooting for me, and the other Catgators? Or would she be rooting for the Fire Ferrets?


	2. A Leaf In The Wind - Drifting Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra joins the Fire Ferrets after their waterbender ditched them, and Taro blows up at her. Will this match be the end of their friendship?

It had been a stressful day. Lee hadn’t shown up to morning practice, but at least Haku and I had gone over some important combos. Work had been rough – there was nothing more boring that bending dye through the latest in Republic City fashion. But with a shower and some food, I was ready for tonight. I was ready for this match. No matter what, I wasn’t going to let the Catgators go down without a fight.

While Lee was a no-show for early morning training, at least he showed up for the match. The same couldn’t be said about the Hasook, though.

“Hey, where’s their waterbender?” Lee asked as he secured his padding.

“I don’t know, and honestly I don’t care. If Hasook doesn’t show up, that means they forfeit and we automatically advance to the championship. Let’s cross our fingers,” I replied, with a small, hopeful smirk. That would be the dream – the Fire Ferrets forfeit and we head directly to the championship. Even if we lost first round, the winnings would still be more than any regular season game. It would be clean sailing to victory, at least in the monetary sense.

“That would be great,” Haku commented in his monotone register. “I wouldn’t even have to do anything and we would win.”

“Yeah, it _would_ be great,” I grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, and although he let out a pained noise, I didn’t care. It would be a shame, I suppose, that Korra wouldn’t be able to watch me play, but there was always the championship tournament in a few weeks. I grinned wide. There was less than five minutes left before the match. No way Hasook can show up within that time. We were going to the championships!

I was so caught up in it that I didn’t notice Korra until she right on top of me, looking out into space with a dopey smile on my face, but dammit! I didn’t care!

“Korra!” I cried out. I practically skipped over to her, foregoing any lingering weirdness due to our past. “Hi! I’m so glad you came, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be much of a game. You can see me and the rest of the Catgators play at the championship tournament next week, though!” I felt completely unlike myself as I grinned wide and unabashed. I couldn’t help myself! But I felt that grin crumble as Korra shook her head, even though her excitement rivaled my own.

“Actually, the Fire Ferrets aren’t out of it yet! Bolin told me they needed a waterbender and I volunteered! I’m going to be playing for them tonight!”

It felt like a slap in the face.

My smile evaporated. I felt like it was happening all over again – that Korra was leaving me behind. Did the words best friend mean nothing to her? Why would she call me that yesterday, and then today skip up to me with a smile to announce that she joined the team composed of my worst bending rivals? Did she even understand why this was so important to me? No! Of course she didn’t, she was the Avatar – everything had been served to her on a silver platter – bending masters, free lodging in Republic City, and now she just so _happened_ to join the strongest up and coming bending team this year?

I shook my head, holding my face in my hands. Of course. It was just like back then. Korra didn’t understand – she never did. She never thought of others – never thought of me. It took every ounce of control not to cry in front of her. It wasn’t just that Korra joined the Fire Ferrets, it was everything that led up to that, all of it compounded on top of each other and she was somehow oblivious to it all, blind to how it could have affected me. I was sick of it.

At my change in demeanor, Korra’s face fell.

“What’s wrong? It’s OK - we can finally spar again, like we used to!” Korra exclaimed, trying to bring back some sense of playfulness. I saw it as salt in the wound.

“No, Korra! It’s not OK! This is so much more than just friendly sparring!”

“Taro, I thought you would be happy for me!” Korra was so confused, her eyebrows scrunched together as she reached out to me. “You know how much I love pro bending… I thought it would be fun-“

“Fun? Korra, this is much more than just a game! I could use those winnings to pay for my apartment – my whole team could! Haku uses the money to pay for his mom’s medical bills! Lee is trying to save up enough to propose to his girlfriend. I know it’s hard for you to understand, because everything’s been spoon fed to you for your entire life, but I _needed_ this!” I cried out, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I bit my lip. Yes, I did need the money – I desperately wanted to move to a better apartment, one where the cockroach-weevils didn’t threaten to eat into my food, one where I couldn’t hear all my neighbors through the paper-thin walls. I wanted a life where I didn’t have to swish clothing back and forth in a dye facility all day, or cycle water through a power plant, or clean dozens upon dozens of pairs of dirty socks in order to make pocket change. But that didn’t mean I had to take it out on Korra. As ignorant as she was – it wasn’t entirely her fault. It wasn’t like she knew about my situation. But the damage was already done.

When I looked up, Korra was scowling at me, but her lower lip trembled. I could see the unshed tears in her eyes, and I immediately felt even worse than before.

“I thought you would be happy for me but – but fine! I don’t care! I’m playing tonight whether you like it or not!”

Korra stormed out, and I tried to call out after her – yelled “Korra-I’m sorry – Korra!” as loud as I could manage, but my cries fell on deaf ears. I had messed up majorly – maybe ruined a friendship I didn’t even know I still had, permanently.

But there was nothing I could do about it now. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. This wasn’t just about me. My team needed me. I secured the last of my padding and grabbed my helmet. The Catgators wouldn’t lose, not on my watch.

X

The announcer blared over the speakers as both teams took the ring. I bounced on the balls of my feet, trying to keep my blood flowing as I gathered my team into a huddle before the match.

“Listen. That’s Korra – I know her. She’s hotheaded and the greenest rookie you’ve ever seen. I want both of you to focus all your bending at her. Get her out of the ring – she might foul herself so hard she’ll basically be useless anyway. I’ll focus on keeping the boys distracted. Once she’s out, we’ll pick off the brothers one by one. We only need one knockout to finish this and then we’re in the clear. Are you with me?”

Lee chuckled and even Haku managed a half-baked smirk.

“Sounds like a plan, boss,” Lee replied, spitting a small flame out of his palm before he crushed his fist into it.

“We might still win,” Haku added, with a rare bit of positivity in his voice. I tried to calm the raging sea that was the guilt churning in my stomach. I still felt like absolute crap for saying those things to Korra, but I couldn’t dwell on it now. There was still a match to focus on.

The bell rang for the first round, and I settled into my stance. I tried not to catch the eye of any of our opponents – it would be an unwelcome distraction. I had a match to win, and no one was going to stop me.

Right out of the gate, I focused all my strength on the brothers. I knew how they moved – I had been studying them for ages, noting how they guarded each other, how they switched stances between attacks. While Mako was self-sufficient and knew how to take care of himself, Bolin was always quick to defend his brother in the ring, and I used that knowledge to my advantage. I dodged the earthbender’s attacks steadily as I focused all my firepower on Mako, never letting up. Mako could only dodge so many carefully aimed water blasts, and soon enough he was against the ropes, with Bolin close by, leaving Korra open to-

“Foul!” rang out over the stadium as Lee went flying over the side of the ring, a clear foul.

“What!?” Korra yelled. I grinned, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. I was right – Korra was a huge fan of pro bending, of course – but there were some rules that just didn’t translate well over the air. While she knew about hosing violations other typical fouls, Mako had to angrily explain to her that in order to knock an opponent off, it has to be over the back of the ring.

“Keep it up, you two!” Taro yelled to her teammates. They nodded and the bell rang, as I fell into my fighting stance once more. Bolin and Mako were ready this time, and Mako was on me immediately with a fire blast. Luckily, I blocked it, and it exploded in a burst of steam, only knocking me back a few steps that I recovered easily, side-stepping a disc from Bolin before I could start in on them both again. But I had hardly thrown one blast at them before the ref tweeted at us again.

Korra screamed, throwing down her fists in rage and pointing at the ref. She had stepped over the line. I grinned.

“Finish her!” I called when the bell rang again.

“No!” Bolin shouted, aiming a disc at me and Haku. I dodged my own easily, but I had to fall back to defend my teammate, barely blocking the earth with a pillar of water. I panted heavily – the bending brothers really had us on our toes, but the combo was the same I had seen Bolin teach Korra, which left me an opening – Bolin always fell back the same way, every time, and I used that to my advantage. Right before he lifted his foot, I shot a blast of water his way, and before he could catch his balance he was knocked into the zone two.

The bell sounded, ending round one. We had managed to secure zone one for the whole round, so we secured the win for now, and I exchanged excited glances with my teammates. Even Haku was grinning – we could win this!

“Why are you hitting them, huh Taro? Are you too much of a coward to face me?” Korra shouted as we waited for the bell.

“Don’t listen to her,” Haku offered quietly, and I nodded. Korra was just trying to rile me up, and even though it did twist the knot in my gut tighter, I willed myself not to let her get to me. We had a strategy, and I didn’t want to ruin it.

“Don’t worry, stick to the plan,” I replied. Even though Korra was green, she was strong enough to stay in the ring for the whole first round. In fact, she had only been pushed back through fouls. Haku and Lee would need to focus everything on her if they wanted us to stand a chance. And I would have to hold off the boys for two more rounds. I grit my teeth and dug my heels in.

I did change my strategy – but only slightly. It was clear that Haku and Lee couldn’t knock Korra back on their own, but I could offer them some extra firepower. I had to focus like I never had before, but I worked myself to the bone, bending stream after stream at the brothers, forcing them into the corner. It was tough work, and I was panting, but it made them less of a threat. As soon as Haku had Korra on her toes, I could easily bend an extra stream her way, and together, Haku and I pushed Korra back into zone two.

The barrage didn’t end there. I wasn’t satisfied until both the brothers lost their footing and fell into zone two.

“Lee, cover me!” I called, dipping and using both hands to push one last blast at the brothers before jumping, spinning with all my momentum to join Haku in a last push to throw Korra over the edge – and it worked! She hit the water with a loud splash, and I grinned wide, but it wasn’t over.

While I was distracted, Mako bounced back. He was too cool under pressure, and with two consecutive fireballs, Lee shot off the ring, landing in the water below. I grit my teeth, but thankfully, the bell sounded. We won the round – Haku and I were still in zone one, while the brothers had been pushed back into zone two. It would be a defensive game now.

“Dig your heels in! This is our house!” I yelled. My teammates yelled back an affirmative, and I looked to my side to see them both in fighting formation. We needed to defend, but I knew it was more than that. The thing about Korra was that she learned, and she learned quickly. After two rounds, I knew she was still fresh, while I was breathing heavy from trying to keep the brothers at bay. It would be a tough match, but hopefully we could hold out and avoid a knockout.

The bell rang and I was back at it. It was more essential than ever that I keep the brothers out of the fight, so I wound up my first shot with all my might, slamming Bolin into his brother so I could corral them more easily. Mako’s foot slid into zone two and I smirked as the firebender had to move back a zone. One more blast to Bolin and he joined his brother, trying with all his might to use the earth discs to block the water and only managing to slow both of their descents into zone three. I was in my element, and although I was exhausted, I could hold out. I had to. Even though my muscles felt as if they were on fire and my breathing was ragged, I had to hold out

“What’s the hold up? Take her out!” I shouted at my teammates between jabs, ducking below a well-aimed fire blast.

“We’re trying, but she’s just – we can’t hit her now!” Haku yelled, distress audible in the waver in his voice.

“She’s too quick, I’m running out of – ugh!”

Lee rocketed over the line as Korra picked up steam. I looked on in horror – while my strategy may have worked well for the first two rounds I had overlooked something – something the Tigerdillos had overlooked as well.

While I was perfectly capable of maintaining my stamina throughout the last round, Haku and Lee couldn’t. Lee was out of it completely now, and Haku was barely standing, hunched over and breathing like he had just run the length of the Earth Kingdom. I had forgotten that neither of them had ever trained like I did – that most of the time they didn’t even show up for practice.

It didn’t matter. I tried to push the thoughts out of my head. We didn’t have to win this round, we just had to stay in the ring.

While I was caught up in my realization, Mako sent a fireblast at Haku, and although I tried to deflect it, I was just too slow. It connected squarely with the earthbender, and Bolin followed it up with an earth disc out of nowhere. And then it was just me, and the Fire Ferrets.

 _It’ll be fine_ , I tried to calm myself. _All I have to do is stay standing. All I have to do is dodge_.

I was known for being the last man standing. I was known for always digging my heels in, always staying in the ring. Even with the weight of my teammates on my shoulders, I could do this.

So I dodged. I just needed to run out the clock. I didn’t even bother trying to fight back – it was useless. Korra hit me – I stumbled back to zone two, but I was still standing. I willed myself to keep it up, feeling the adrenaline course through me. I ducked, side-stepped, jumped. It was nothing new. I could do this, I had been in this position before, with countless other benders -

But never Korra. Korra knew me. We had played snow dodge every day when we were little, and she knew how I moved, she knew how I steadied myself, how I switched stances. I had shown her just yesterday.

And she took me out. With one swift, well-aimed blast, I was hurdling over the edge of the ring, hands flailing for purchase on the edge of the ring, but helpless to catch on. I splashed into the water, and our season was over. The Catgators would never see the championships.

X

When our elevator finally reached the platform, the Fire Ferrets were already celebrating. Bolin squished both his brother and Korra into a tight hug, and she laughed, full of light and pure joy, joy from winning a well-fought match. I felt my heart sink as Haku and Lee marched towards their lockers, their heads hung low in defeat. As much as it pained me to see the Fire Ferrets celebrate our loss – my loss – I knew what I needed to do. I hung back behind them, waiting for the Fire Ferrets to disperse.

It was a hard loss – maybe even the worst we had ever seen. It wasn’t just because of Korra, although that was a huge part of it. But that wasn’t what made it so crushing. It was because this had been the first time I had seen Haku motivated. It was the first time that Lee had seemed actually invested in our match, instead of just playing as sort of a filler between meetings with his girlfriend. And for me – this was the first ever time I had lost in a one-on-three. They had been my specialty, my ace in the hole. The defeat left me deflated, but I didn’t want it to define me. That’s why I stayed.

When the Fire Ferrets separated to head to their lockers, Korra leveled me with a glare. Her gaze was ice cold, but I willed myself to not wince.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“Korra, I’m sorry,” I began. There was no reason for me to stumble over words, or try and defend myself. I had been rude. I had been crappy. And I had taken it out on Korra. “I know you didn’t join the Fire Ferrets in order to spite me, or sabotage us, it’s just…” I took a deep breath. This was something I had avoided for so long. For over half a decade.

“Back home, when we were younger – I thought you hated me.”

“What?” that, at least, caught Korra’s attention, and she stood stock still.

“After you finished your waterbending training… you left me behind. The white lotus built you that compound, and I thought ‘wow – maybe I can see a real earthbending master too!’ I was so excited! I thought it was so cool that your masters would come to you – that I could maybe see their wisdom as well, that we could train together, that we could grow up together instead of me having to say goodbye!” I paused and hung my head, willing myself not to cry. I took a deep breath and continued.

“But you didn’t. As soon as you started living there, it was like I just ceased to exist – even worse, it was like I never existed at all! You would only leave for holidays, if that, and when I saw you, you looked right through me,” I tried not to shake. It was in the past. Telling Korra would be closure, and she could let me know how she really felt. It wasn’t healthy to hold onto things like this.

“I thought you just liked me because we lived close to each other. I thought that once you started to become the Avatar… that you didn’t need me anymore. And that sucked! I was so sad, and angry, and upset… and I’m still working through that. But I’m older now, and I know… I never told you how I felt. I never told you that I felt ignored, or hated, or like you had forgotten me. And I never thought I would ever see you again to tell you, but then you showed up and everything happened so fast-“

I paused to breathe again, and Korra looked at me intently, her eyes watery, her expression astonished.

“-I assumed. And I never worked through it, and when you joined the Fire Ferrets I thought it was a personal attack. But I know that’s my own problem, and I’m so, so sorry for taking it out on you. You didn’t deserve that – you just wanted to have fun.”

I finally stopped and when I looked up, Korra was practically crying now, and she wiped her eyes before she spoke.

“I had no idea,” she whispered. She stepped closer, then hesitated, grabbing her elbow and pulling her arms close to her chest

“When I started to learn earthbending, my parents and the white lotus thought it would be safer for me if I learned it at home. And I was so excited, because that meant I could spend more time with you, but once I moved into the compound, I didn’t realize how it would change everything. Every time I would try to leave, the white lotus would question me, or my parents would try to make me take an escort, and It was so hard – and I know that wasn’t an excuse! But I was just so used to you stopping by that I didn’t realize that when I moved in to someplace more secure that I would have to put effort into staying friends too, especially when my bending schedule got so crazy. When I moved up to firebending I was learning from three masters, all at once! I hardly had any time to think. I didn’t realize, and that was stupid of me, but I’m sorry too. I’m so sorry, Taro. You really were – you _are_ – well, I _want_ you to be my best friend.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. I wasn’t crying – no. It was just that the water building in my eyes was making it hard for me to see, that was all. I smiled, even though it probably looked all dopey because of how emotional I was.

“You really are a great bender, Korra. You were amazing out there, and I’m so proud of you.”

“It’s airbending,” Korra laughed, but it was watery. “Tenzen taught me, you know – be the leaf? Maybe I could show you sometime.”

“I would like that,” I replied.

Korra took a step forward, and before I knew it, I was being pulled into a hug. Not a stiff bear hug like before, but a soft one. And although I wasn’t one for hugs, I wrapped my arms around Korra’s shoulders and squeezed, doing my best to keep my tears at bay.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered.

“I missed you too.”


	3. The Revelation - A Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro meets with Korra at air temple island. After Mako and Korra set off to look for Bolin, Taro is left alone with her thoughts and worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now have an update schedule - I'll be posting new chapters of this story every Friday and Tuesday.
> 
> This chapter in particular is a little boring, but I assure you, the next one makes it all worth it.

“Thank you so much for giving me a tour of air temple island. It’s like nothing else I’ve seen in Republic City,” I praised. It was still a little awkward around Korra, at least on my end. After our tearful apologies, I really didn’t know how to act around her, but this was a good start. I always wanted to learn all I could about the different bending disciplines, and seeing air temple island up close would be the best way to take a closer look at airbending. And it really was like nothing else – it was peaceful, tranquil. Like I could fall asleep around any corner.

“Hey, Korra! Oh! Is this a friend?”

I whipped my head around. Two young girls in air nomad garb were skipping towards us, their feet barely touching the ground as they moved.

“Oh- yeah! Jinora, Ikki – this is Taro, my friend from the Southern Water Tribe. Taro, this is Jinora and Ikki – Tenzen’s kids.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Jinora replied with a bow. I quickly returned the favor, trying to act polite. It was really weird to meet people as famous as the Avatar Aang’s grandchildren – although I guess that’s hypocritical, considering my best friend is the current Avatar.

“What’s up?” Korra asked them with a smile, and Jinora shrugged.

“Dad said we should make sure you’re practicing your airbending and not just goofing off,” Jinora supplied. I chuckled a little, especially once Korra blushed. We weren’t technically goofing off, but with how much airbending frustrated her, I wouldn’t be surprised if Korra was using me as a distraction to get out of training.

“I-I’m practicing! I was just about to show Taro how the, uh, how the ‘be a leaf’ thing works!”

“The ‘be a leaf’ thing…” Jinora repeated, and I snorted. I had no idea what any of them were talking about, but Korra getting flustered was always funny. She was blushing ferociously, and her cheeks puffed out as she stomped towards some kind of contraption with a bunch of panels, looking every bit like an offended toddler.

“The ‘be a leaf” thing… so how does that work?” I asked, half because I wanted to take the heat off Korra, half because I was actually interested.

“Well-“ both Jinora and Korra started. Then they paused, frowning and exchanging glances.

“Ooh! Ooh! I can explain it!” Ikki called, jumping up and down with her hand in the air. Jinora and Korra shrugged, and Ikki stepped in front of me to bestow her knowledge upon me.

“It’s a basic airbending exercise. The idea is to move through it without touching any of the panels.”

“That seems too easy,” I commented, a single eyebrow raised. Ikki grinned.

“Well, you’re supposed to move through it as it’s spinning,” Ikki replied. “Like this!-“

She blasted a burst of air at the panels, and they started spinning ferociously. Oh. OK. That made more sense. It looked difficult, but-

“Can I try? I know I’m not an airbender, but –“

“Of course, go ahead!” Jinora replied with a smile. “Airbending techniques can always be applied to all the other elements. Our dad says that learning other ways to bend is important too!”

I grinned wicked, focusing my gaze on the spinning contraption. “Let’s see how good of an airbender I am, then!”

I sprinted to the panels, and took a calming breath before I entered. Just move through it without touching the panels, right? Korra had said she had used a similar technique to stay upright in the pro bending ring, and I had always been good at evading attacks. I slipped between the first set of panels easily, trying to time it as swiftly as I could. The second went smoothly, but the third set of panels was spinning faster, and it caught me off my guard. Instead of moving calmly, I jumped from one tip-toe to the other, my teeth gritted and my body tense. I only made it about halfway before a panel slammed into my, knocking the breath out of me. But even though it hurt, I pushed myself the last of the way through, tossing myself out on the other side with a loud thump.

“That thing hurts!” I yelled. I rubbed my shoulder defensively. The airbenders, the traitors, started laughing at me! Even Korra was cackling!

“You should have seen Korra trying to move through it the first time!” Ikki spit out between giggles, and Korra’s mirthful expression quickly turned to a frown.

“Hey! I can do it now! Watch!”

I stood next to Ikki and Jinora as Korra moved through the obstacles, and I took mental notes of how she moved, how she sensed the panels. She really was good at dodging, but it was more than that – it was about sensing the movements of the panels and predicting them.

Korra made it through the first time, and Jinora called “again!” and Korra slid through the course again. It wasn’t until the third time that I realized the two younger girls had used Korra’s competitive nature to their advantage, basically tricking her into doing her airbending training without Korra even realizing it. I smirked. Clever.

By the time she had made it through the maze the fourth time, we had moved to the opposite side of the panels, cheering Korra on. I was so focused on Korra – and the new techniques, of course - that I didn’t even notice the figure approaching.

“Oh, he’s cute!” Ikki whispered, giggling a little.

“Hey Korra, is that the handsome firebender boy that drives you crazy?” Jinora asked, clearly trying to push Korra’s buttons. I peeked over Jinora’s head, having to divert my gaze around her hair bun, and I slapped a hand over my face to stifle my snort. Oh yeah, that was Mako alright.

“Ooh, does he drive you crazy in a good way or a bad way?” Ikki asked, teasing, but also generally curious.

“Oh yeah. Korra, tell us how you feel about him,” I added, egging the girls on as they all giggled. Korra, however, was having none of it. The blush covered her whole face and she wasted no time in sprinting in front of us before stomping her foot to the ground, launching us into a tree.

Well, more accurately, it launched me into a tree. The airbending sisters knew how to, well, airbend, so they floated softly to the ground. Me? Not so much. I konked right into the trunk, but at least they helped me up as I grumbled insults in Korra’s direction and they giggled at the situation. Little jerks.

“Mako! What’s up?” Korra asked, trying to stay cool, and failing when she leaned on one of the spinning panels and it, predictably, didn’t hold her weight and instead smacked her in the face. We all laughed at her this time, even after Korra shot us all a pleading look.

“Have you seen Bolin? He wasn’t at home,” Mako asked, all business. He barely even acknowledged Korra’s greeting. She frowned.

“No, I haven’t seen him since practice. Is something wrong?”

“Nah, just forget about it, I’m sure he’s fine,” Mako shrugged her off with a wave of his hand, but Korra wasn’t about to let him off so easily.

“I can help you look for him if you want!” she called, bounding after him as he walked away.

“That’s fine, I’ll find him myself.”

“Hey, tough guy,” Korra laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s OK. Let me help. We can cover more ground together with Naga.”

“Who’s Naga?” Mako asked, eyebrow raised. Korra beamed.

“She’s a great tracker, and my best friend – well, my other best friend,” Korra corrected when I shouted a good-natured “hey!” from where I was standing.

“Speaking of friends – Taro!” I jumped. Was it wrong for me to cut in like that, even if it was meant to be a joke? I was prepared to panic, but then Korra continued: “Do you want to come?”

I weighed the concept. I was a little, teensy, tiny bit worried about Bolin. Just because I was a nice person! But also – this was the perfect opportunity for Korra to spend time with Mako. I rubbed my chin. I should let them spend time together. I mean, Bolin had probably just run off to hang out with some girl, or gotten drawn into some shenanigans or another. I’m sure he was fine.

“Nah, you two go ahead. I’ll hold down the fort for ya!” I shot Korra a little half smile, and Korra shot the same over her shoulder as she followed Mako to the exit, mouthing “I owe you one!” as she left. I sighed. It felt good to be able to help Korra spend more time with him, even if my stomach flipped menacingly. I hoped the night would end with them goofing around in the gym or stuffing pastries into each other’s faces, and not with anything sinister.

I spent a while longer at air temple island talking with Jinora and Ikki and meeting a few of the other acolytes. I knew that their airbending didn’t translate perfectly to my waterbending (this was proven beyond a doubt when I tried to do the air scooter with water. Horrifying.) but I still wanted to learn.

My grandmother had once told me the story of how one of her grandfather’s close friends, who was a great waterbending master, had taught General Iroh waterbending. Even though he was a firebender, Iroh paid close attention to the wisdom of the other elements, and used his waterbending knowledge to create a new technique – a way to redirect lightning. The story was old and worn out, and my grandma had told it mostly to connect herself to the great General Iroh rather than to teach any universal rule of bending.

But even though she hadn’t meant it to, the story held truth. I had learned about fire and earthbending from my pro bending partners, and it had made me stronger. Earthbending techniques had strengthened my ice techniques, allowing me to pack the ice tighter and hold the structure for longer. Firebending techniques added more force to my water blasts, and the flow of firebending forms allowed me to adapt my waterbending to a more fast paced style. It was that firebending that helped me hold my own in the ring.

Airbending was no different. Although I had only been there a day, the airbenders had already taught me so much. I felt the water vapors in the air as I breathed in, walking to my apartment. My element was held within theirs, and their mindfulness was admirable. I would have to hang out with Korra on the island more often.

Korra. That sent my mind to a completely different place as I unlocked the door to my apartment, leaving my shoes nearby. She and Mako had been gone for a few hours at the point, and I was starting to worry. Initially I thought maybe they would find Bolin on some date he failed to tell his brother about, or sprawled out, unable to move after eating an entire arctic hen by himself. He seemed the type to get into idiotic predicaments without his common sense getting in the way.

But I had no doubt that Mako knew his brother. They were close enough to be a formidable force in the pro bending ring, after all. I knew that practically, they could have all met up by now and headed out for a victory dinner at a local noodle place. But something in my gut just didn’t feel right. I frowned as I looked out across the city (or, more accurately, across a few blocks) from my dingy apartment window.

I was worried, but I needed to be realistic. I just got home, it’s not like they would have called me and I would have known they were safe and sound. Plus, the sun was only just starting to set. I should get myself dinner, and a new change of clothes. Then, maybe I could catch tonight’s pro bending matches and wait for Mako and Bolin to come home. It would seem casual if I just happened to hang out at the arena – I was a pro bender too, so it wouldn’t be weird. And if they weren’t back by midnight, I would start my own search tomorrow at dawn. Korra could handle herself, and so could Mako. I needed to stop acting like an overly concerned mother.

And I did exactly what I set out to do. I got noodles from my favorite roadside cart, then caught the night’s pro bending matches. By the end of the second, I was getting tired. The large clock in the arena said that it was nearing 11 PM, and I groaned. I had promised myself I would wait at the arena until the brothers got back, but there was no sign of them, and I didn’t want to loiter when the facilities managers tried to clean up after the two matches.

Wait. I didn’t need to wait around the arena. Didn’t Bolin say they lived in the attic?

“Well, it’s not exactly polite, but…” I mumbled as I left the platform to search for the attic entrance. It was _definitely_ not polite, and I shouldn’t do it at all, but where else was I supposed to go?

It took some wandering, but eventually I found a locked door with a little sign hanging outside of it. Painted in sloppy handwriting was a hearty “welcome!” and I snorted, imagining Bolin painting the placard and hanging it up outside.

I tried the handle on the door, and to my surprise, it shifted under my hand. It wasn’t locked? I inched the door open, poking my head in to see that just beyond the door and the foyer was a set of stairs.

“Mako? Bolin?...Korra?” I called, opening the door a little wider. No answer. I frowned, but pushed the door the rest of the way open. Well, if they left it unlocked, they couldn’t be too concerned about people just randomly showing up in their apartment. Right?

The stairs led to what was honestly a gigantic room, and I whistled at the sight of it. Bolin really wasn’t lying – not only was it spacious, the view was fantastic.

“Wow,” I mumbled, shuffling to an open window. It looked out across the port to air temple island, which glowed like a firefly compared to the bright electric lights of the city. I shook my head. The boys really had a good deal here.

Well. I looked around a little more. Maybe the view was great, but the rest of the apartment could use some work. There was a couch and a table, but the stive was hardly more than an open flame and a table next to it. There weren’t any beds that I could see, but there were a _lot_ of weights. There were dumbbells and free weights, and even a few kettle bells. As if the expansive gym a couple floors down wasn’t enough for them. I snorted.

I gazed out with window for a few more moments, but I couldn’t help it. I was a bit of a snoop. I knew I shouldn’t, but my gaze wandered to the platforms above my head, covered with sheets. I knew those had to be their personal spaces, their bedrooms, but that just made me even more curious. Was Mako secretly into knitting? Did Bolin have a favorite book, and more importantly, could he read? These were serious questions as I ascended the first ladder.

I had to pull aside a brown sheet to enter, and once I did, I realized immediately that this must be Mako’s bedroom. Or bed…platform? Loft? His loft, there.

It was neat and tidy. He had a half-broken chair with a set of folded clothes on top of it, and his gym bag next to it. It was impersonal, besides a single photo of a family and a stack of books – most of them those cheap five yuan detective stories, and I grinned. Under the novels was a thicker leather bound book without a title. Was it a diary, a sketchbook? I may have been a snoop, but I wasn’t going to invade Mako’s privacy by opening it, even if I really wanted to. I decided to believe it was full of angsty poetry.

That meant the other loft was Bolin’s and as soon as I saw it, I knew. While Mako’s loft was almost completely obscured with the sheet, Bolin’s sheet looked like it had fallen off the twine they had strung up, and it draped half over his bed, half pooled on the floor. The rest of his loft wasn’t much better – his bed wasn’t made and there was a pair of dirty socks I almost slipped on. There was the typical gym bag, but what really got me were the pictures – there were so many taped to the wall. I gave them a once-over and smiled. Most of them were of Bolin and his brother – hanging out in their new apartment, after they won their first match. I remember that one – I played right after, and I could hear Bolin from the gym when he screamed in triumph.

Other than the pictures and the general disarray of the loft, there was nothing interesting in particular – oh. Maybe except for the little bosco bear next to Bolin’s pillow. I snorted – what a dork. (As if I didn’t still sleep with a stuffed polar bear-dog, but I digress.)

I had almost wished that by snooping through their apartment that Mako and Korra would show up, Bolin in tow, but I had no such luck. I frowned as my feet hit the ground and I dusted off my pants. I checked the clock near the stairs – 12:16.

There was nothing I could do for them now. I was exhausted and I needed sleep. I would set my alarm for early tomorrow morning, and hope I was just being paranoid.


	4. The Revelation - A Sea of Dread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro, Mako, and Korra sneak into the equalists' secret meeting, known as the Revelation. The sight of Amon has always filled Taro with dread, and now she must stare him in the face in order to help save Bolin.

After a quick breakfast of toast and green tea, I was out the door, on a mission. While I had stifled my fear for my friends the night before, I couldn’t tamp it down anymore. I was frantic, and the worst thing was I had no idea where they had gone. I would just have to scour the city until I found them – and spirits be damned if there wasn’t a whole lot of city to cover.

I was started to dread my task, as both the fear of never finding them and the weight of having to criss-cross such a sprawling area of land loomed over my head. OK, think. If I were Korra and Mako, and I had gotten tired out searching for Bolin, where would I crash for a night?

A hotel? No. Korra didn’t carry money on her, and she had told me the other day that Mako and Bolin barely made enough from the previous match to pay off last month’s rent and groceries. They wouldn’t bother.

An alley? Well, that would probably be Mako’s crash pad of choice. I didn’t know much about him and Bolin besides the fact that they were a bitch to take on in the ring, but I had a feeling Mako wouldn’t mind a nice damp alleyway. I didn’t judge him – a place to sleep is a place to sleep.

But the first place I had stayed when I came to Republic City from the South Pole – the place I should look first – is the park. That was where Korra would go, I was sure of it. It was the only space with a connection to nature – the only one that bore any resemblance to the South Pole, even if the South was covered in snow and the park was covered in grass. It was more familiar.

I jogged to the park, sprinting as I spotted the green space in my field of vision. I hope I wasn’t too late, and I didn’t miss them.

“Korra! Mako!” I called, earning nasty looks from an old couple trying to feed the turtleducks. I ignored them and continued on.

“Mako! Korra!” I called, ducking around trees and bushes. Spirits, I hoped I was right, and they were nearby-

“Taro?-ah!”

It was quiet, and muffled, but that was definitely Korra. My face lit up and I crashed through a bush. On the other side, Korra and Mako were leaning against Naga, Korra’s polar bear-dog, and they looked embarrassed as all get out. I grinned. I didn’t care – I was just glad I found them.

“I was so worried when you didn’t uh- call, last night-“ I scratched the back of my head, trying not to feel stupid for worrying, but Korra replied with a soft, tired look. “Are you guys OK? Did you find Bolin?”

“Yes, we’re fine, but unfortunately we didn’t find Bolin,” Korra hung her head in shame. “We were right _there_ when the equalists took him –“

“The equalists?” my voice cracked with shock. “How did he even manage to- you know what, it doesn’t matter. Can we even get him back?” My heart flipped. I didn’t know Bolin very well, but the thought of him, a very visible bender, being captured by equalists – it didn’t sound good.

“Yeah, we have a plan,” Mako mumbled, looking straight past me as he stood. I frowned at him before I followed his line of sight, and then I understood perfectly.

The speaker rang to life and the man who always ran the equalist rally in the park fired himself up, stepping onto his platform to dole out flyers and promises.

When I first came to Republic City, I actually thought the equalists had a good point to make. It wasn’t so much that the government was oppressing non-benders, but the local mobs sure were. The triads made it horrible to live in the city even as a bender, so much so that I couldn’t comprehend what poor non-bending shopkeepers had to manage. I had my share of run-ins with the assholes – they always tried to pick up new arrivals in town, at least those that showed some proficiency in bending – and initiate them into their gangs. It had seemed tempting, back before I found the landlord of a cheap apartment that would have me, but I managed. Any group of people like that – people who preyed on the poor, and the alone, were a worthy cause to fight against. 

If the equalists just wanted to draw attention to the lack of proper policing surrounding the gangs, I wouldn’t mind the movement - the triads needed to be stopped. But that wasn’t it. Amon, their leader – there was just something about him. That mask made me uneasy, and the way he spoke about benders sent shivers down my spine. Yes, benders weren’t perfect, and some of us could be bullies and violent criminals, but that didn’t mean we _all_ were! And if Amon had ordered his followers to capture Bolin just because he was a pro bender – that was just plain stupid!

I jogged to catch up to Mako and Korra as they approached the equalist’s stand – too caught up in my own thoughts, I guess.

“Hey! You’re that girl!” the man said, jabbing a finger at Korra with fear in his eyes. “I will not let you silence me!” he cried, holding his megaphone valiantly.

Or – maybe not so valiantly, as Korra smacked it out of his hand with one quick thwack.

“My friend was kidnapped by chi blockers. Got any idea where they might have taken him?” She got right to the point, pressing her face into his space, forcing him to swallow harshly and take a step back. He looked from Korra to Mako and I, clearly terrified at the prospect of up to three benders attacking him.

“I-I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” he stammered. Korra shook her head.

“Oh, I think you do.”

In one quick kick the table the man had been standing on as well as the flyers stacked beside him were launched into the air. The man hit the ground with a loud “oof!” as the papers scattered everywhere. I picked one up, as did Mako.

“The Revelation,” Mako mused, then turned to the man with a frown. I flipped the flyer over, taking a glance at the front and back.

“What is this?” Mako continued, shoving the flyer in his face.

“No one knows what the Revelation is,” the man cowered in front of Mako, but I frowned. He wasn’t telling us everything.

“Well _where_ is it then? Would our-his-“ I stumbled over my words. Could I call Bolin my friend? “Would prisoners be there?”

“Listen, I don’t know where your friend is, but if he’s a bender, he’s getting what’s coming!” the man shouted. I grabbed at his lapels, shaking him from front to back.

“Where is he? You’re not telling us something!”

Before I could slap him around anymore, a whistle sounded in the distance and I groaned. Great, the cops.

“We better get out of here,” Korra mumbled, grabbing me and Mako by the collar and tugging. I gave the equalist one last glare before letting him go and following Korra. As much as that man infuriated me – and the others as well – he wasn’t worth it.

I was too angry to bother, but Mako had the foresight to grab a few more of the flyers as we ran past, almost tripping me in the process before we both made it back to Naga and hopped on. Everything was happening so fast, and it made my head spin. What would Amon want with _Bolin_ at a secret equalist rally?

Even though it was a long shot, Mako managed to figure out that the back of the flyers, when pieced together against the map of the city, pointed out the exact location of the rally. It was ingenious, but terrifying at the same time. It was so secret that they needed a fancy map to conceal the location?

My nerves didn’t calm, even as I wrapped my hair in a scarf to conceal my identity outside of the warehouse the rally was supposed to be held in. While Mako and Korra seemed as calm as ever, I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. What would Amon be doing at a rally so secret? What would he kidnap benders for? Was he going to kill them? The equalist slogans and demonstrations had been growing more and more violent over the recent months. What if this was like a public execution, and Bolin was one of the accused?

I shook my head and tightened the knot under my chin. No. No, I couldn’t think about that. I took a deep breath, bringing my thumbs and pointer fingers together so that my fingers formed a triangle, then pressing my hands away from me with my breath. After this, I brought my hands to my sides and slid them up my body, willing my nerves to calm, for my heart to slow, for the blood to stop rushing in my ears. As my breathing leveled out, I centered myself. This was no time to think about what could be, or what might be hiding in that warehouse. It was time to figure it out for ourselves, and hopefully save Bolin in the process.

“Ready?” Korra asked me, adjusting her own hat. She would look cute, if we weren’t leading some kind of half-baked rescue mission.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Korra nodded back, hazarding a glance back at Mako, who was still getting into his coat.

“Is it – I was going to use a cover story for Mako that we were going to this rally together, but it would mean you’d have to walk in alone. Is that OK? I could-“

“Stop,” I held my hand up to emphasize it. “No, Korra, that’s actually really smart. I’ll be fine, I can handle it.” I smiled soft.

We followed her plan. She and Mako entered first, her hanging off his arm like they were a genuine couple. My lip twitched in a ghost of a smirk – even in the middle of a rescue operation she had the balls to work out a way to get closer to her crush. Korra really was an inspiration.

I entered a few minutes later, hanging back so I wouldn’t be suspicious. And when I entered –

“Oh my spirits –“ I gasped.

The warehouse was absolutely packed. There were non-benders as far as I could see – there had to be hundreds – maybe even over a thousand equalists all squished together in this one space to see Amon.

“It’s inspiring isn’t it?”

I started, but it was just a teenage girl. Her chestnut hair was secured in a tight braid and her freckles made her seem even younger.

“Seeing so many equalists at once. Like we might have a chance, you know?”

“Oh – yeah. I just – I had no idea,” I stuttered, trying not to give myself away. The girl just kept smiling.

“Enjoy the Revelation, my sister!”

“Uh yeah – sister..” I trailed off. How was I supposed to find Korra and Mako in this mess? And worse than that – the uncomfortable settling in my stomach was beginning. Whenever I heard Amon speak it seemed to emerge, and it was only growing worse since I knew he would be here in person. I couldn’t explain the specific unsettling feeling he instilled in me – it was unlike any fear, or any instinct I had ever experienced before, and I hated it.

I pressed into the crowd, looking for Korra’s distinctive hat. Lucky for me, the two hadn’t been able to push that far into the crowd, having arrived so late.

“It’s good to see you, my brother and sister,” I greeted, nodding to them. Korra let out a breath when she saw me, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to her and Mako so I wouldn’t get lost in the crowd.

“I thought you hadn’t made it,” she breathed, with a lopsided, nervous smile. I gave her the same in return, and felt my cheeks heat. It was still so strange being friends with her again – realizing that Korra cared about me.

“I’m fine, I-“

Before I could finish my statement, a microphone screeched to life, and I had to cover my ears for the feedback. But that wasn’t the only thing that made me want to shrink back in fear – in pain even. Because a second later, Amon was on stage.

We were near the rear of the rally, but Amon’s gaze bore into me like we were the only two people in the room. The mask and the distance made it impossible for me to see where he was actually looking, but it felt as if he saw straight into my soul.

He told the crowd his life story, and they were enraptured, completely captivated when he assured them that the spirits had chosen him, that –

“-They have given me a power. A power with the ability to grant true equality! The power to take one’s bending away!”

My stomach dropped out of my body.

I heard Mako and Korra whisper beside me as if through a wall of water. Take someone’s bending away? That was impossible! The only person who had ever done that was Avatar Aang! And there was no way any spirit would give that power to some random crazy man who thought that true balance was to make everyone like him! The spirits wouldn’t… would they? Bending wasn’t going extinct, was it?

I didn’t have time to panic. I wanted to, desperately, but everything clicked back into focus when Amon’s followers started leading members of the triple threats onto the stage. Lightning Bolt Zolt I knew by reputation only, but a few of the others I had seen before in passing, and the last one -

“Bolin-“ I breathed. Or maybe I thought it. There was so much information running through my mind – why were they lumping him in with a gang? Was he really one of those assholes? Or was he just the victim of incredibly bad luck? It didn’t matter, because he was scared and they were going to take everyone’s bending and I-

“Taro-!” Korra whisper-yelled. I had started to move towards the stage before I even realized. “We need a game plan first.”

I shook my head, partially to clear it, but also to tell Korra no.

“Come up with one. I’ll – I can’t just stand here. I’m heading up. If your plan doesn’t work out, I’ll at least be a backup.”

“You don’t even have any water on you!” Mako scoffed. I sighed.

“Just come up with something. I’ll be on the right side of the stage.”

I yanked my arm out of Korra’s grip and pressed through the crowd. I didn’t know what had come over me, but I knew that this was wrong. Wrong in some sort of primal, ancient, way. I didn’t want this for any of those men – even though they had hurt so many. It was cruel in a way I couldn’t even describe – like ripping out a part of someone and leaving them to rot. And I couldn’t let it happen – I didn’t want it to happen to anyone – but especially not Bolin. As much as I teased him, as much as I liked to push him around in the ring – he was a good guy. He was never a sore loser, he always had a smile on his face, and without him and his playboy weirdness, I never would have found Korra again. I still had never thanked him – I had never said anything kind to him at all. I wanted to play against him again, I wanted to train with him and Korra and Mako. Even though my season was over, I could still fight for this, at least.

I was so determined that the strange force Amon possessed didn’t hit me until I was right on top of him. I grit my teeth and willed my heartrate to slow. It was claustrophobic, but I needed to move past it. As he fought Lightning Bolt Zolt, I held my breath, willing the firebender to win, even if he was scum.

But there was – something. He stopped, and I felt the world shift, and that horrible, horrible sensation screamed within me as Amon lifted his thumb to Zolt’s forehead. He shuddered, and his lightning turned to fire, then smoke. And then… then it was gone.

I gasped, but it was hidden by the crowd. The dread pooled like nothing I had ever felt, but I had to push past it. I grit my teeth. Where were Korra and Mako? The chi blockers were already untying another triple threat, and it chilled me to the bone. I felt powerless – Zolt wasn’t the best firebender I had ever seen, but he still held power. The way that Amon fought him – it was like that creep knew exactly where Zolt would aim before even _he_ did. If he could calculate motion like that, if he could beat the leader of a triad so easily – how could I stand a chance? What if Mako and Korra didn’t come up with a plan? Would I have to fight Amon alone?

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a solid six inches into the air, but before I could scream, Mako covered my mouth.

“Shh, it’s me!”

I slapped his hand away. “Spirits, Mako, a little warning next time!”

“Sorry, but Korra and I have a plan. She’s going to whip up some cover using the steam from the boilers over there. We can grab Bolin and get out before they even notice,” he whispered, close enough that no one else could hear. I nodded.

“Sounds good. I can give us additional cover when you hop on stage and back you up. Hopefully we can make this clean.”

I shivered. They were already onto their third victim, and Bolin looked petrified. I shivered at the feeling of dread that engulfed me. With every second that ticked by, another bender lost a part of himself. I wanted to save as many of them as possible, but how could I? It all rested on Korra now.

The last triad member before Bolin fought with all his might, but it was clear Amon would best him. The man brought the bender to his knees and placed a thumb on his forehead.

“C’mon-“ Mako breathed, rocking on the balls of his feet. I understood his impatience – where was Korra?

The chi blocker cut the ropes that held Bolin. I let out a breath, and it sounded like more of a hiss as I tried to contain myself.

“Wait,” Mako commanded, and with a flick of a glance at his expression, I listened. This was devastating to him, but he believed in Korra. He believed in Bolin. I burned at every point of my being to jump onto that stage, but – this was Mako’s brother. He loved Bolin more than anyone, and if he said to wait… I would.

He was right. Bolin stood to face Amon, and just as all seemed to be lost, something burst behind me and the crowd near the boiler room screamed.

“Finally!” I cried. I pressed into a horse stance and pulled the steam in with all my might, compounding upon Korra’s bending so that the fog swept in fast and thick. Mako made it onto the stage before I even finished, and I was quick to follow.

It was hard to see, but I knew where Bolin was before the fog crested. I sprinted after Mako, and when I caught up, he was peeling a chi blocked off of Bolin with a level of rage I had no idea the level-headed bender was capable of.

“Bolin? You alright!” he asked, sighing in relief at the sight of his brother, unharmed and free.

“Yes, Mako, I love you-!“

I couldn’t focus on their reunion. As Mako focused all his attention on his brother, a second chi blocker barreled full throttle at the firebender. With a hiss I ducked low, bending small pieces of ice out of the fog and aiming them strategically at the assailant. I may not know chi pressure points, but I knew enough about healing to know some nasty spots to stab. The chi blocker cried out as the ice met its mark, and with a quick jab to the nose, they were down for the count.

When I turned to the brothers, they looked at me in shock.

“Taro?” Bolin’s voice lilted so high I thought he was going to break something. I rolled my eyes at him.

“No time, come on!” I gestured towards the edge of the stage, bending the fog so that there was a bubble of visibility that encompassed us as we left. I felt horrible that we couldn’t save anyone else, but at least Bolin was safe. And at least I wouldn’t have to face Amon – with or without backup.

We barreled through the door onto some kind of landing – I was moving too fast to care.

“Go!” I yelled again, ushering Bolin and Mako to the ladder. I stepped onto it last. If anyone wanted the two of them, they would have to go through-

I couldn’t even finish my thought before that guy with the mustache and the electricity loomed over me. I screamed as he slammed his batons into the metal ladder, the wave of electricity eliciting screams of pain from us all as we were thrown from the ladder. I landed with a thud, the breath knocked out of me and my fingers still twitching from the shock.

But we were all skilled fighters. Bolin was up as soon as he hit the ground, with Mako and I following soon after. The stances we fell into were practiced – the three of us looked as good as any pro bending team. Unfortunately, there were no refs to keep order out in this alley.

Mako threw the first fireball, aiming true. But the man ducked, zipping right towards the firebender with full force.

“Mako!” I cried, but it was too late. Mustache jabbed a baton into Mako’s shoulder, and he convulsed until his eyes rolled back and he dropped like a fly. I panicked. Water, where was a source of water? I looked to my left and there! A large tank, probably for steam power. As Bolin occupied Mustache with huge hunks of earth, I sprinted towards the tank.

Bolin was putting up a good fight, but Mustache was gaining on him, and in defense, Bolin threw up a high wall. But whatever acrobatics Amon was teaching were amazing – the man flew over it with ease, pressing both of his batons into Bolin, using the wall to his advantage as he pinned the earthbender to his own creation. Bolin screamed and writhed in pain before he finally collapsed, and it boiled my blood.

“Get away from him!” I shrieked, stomping on the ground hard before sliding into a horse stance. The drum beside me rattled, and then exploded as the expansion of the ice forced the metal to bend and break. I quickly changed stances, calling the water into sturdy whips, that I lashed out at the man as he sprinted towards me. One whip, two – he was quick, and he dodged them easily, making his way closer. I put everything I could into my next swing, and even though he ducked I still caught his cheek, cutting it wide open. Mustache hissed in pain, and I howled in brief victory – but it was short lived.

I tried my best, but he was too quick. Enraged, at my next swing, instead of ducking, he ignited his weapon and stuck it directly into the water itself. I shrieked like I was on fire, and my muscles contracted involuntarily, collapsing my water and sending me plummeting to the ground. My head hit the mud with a wet thud, and I couldn’t move.

It was lucky that there were three of us. While Bolin was out for the count and I struggled to lift myself onto my elbows, Mako engaged the man again with gusto. But it didn’t work. Soon, he was pressed against the metal wall, receiving the same treatment as Bolin. I grit my teeth, and tried to make a full rush on him, but it was no use. He kneed me in the gut and my world crashed around me, the sharp pain of the electricity seizing my muscles as I fell to the ground in a heap with the brothers. I groaned in pain – in fear.

“You benders need to understand that there’s no place in the world for you anymore,” the man rumbled in a low, foul voice. I curled my hands into fists – the only movement I could take right now.

“Oof!”

The man crashed into the metal wall, his batons flying every which way. When I looked up, a huge pillar of earth stood where he once did.

“I wouldn’t count us out just yet,” Korra replied, and the man collapsed. I sighed in relief, as the feeling came back to my limbs. I scrambled to my feet, and Mako followed suit as Korra whistled to call Naga to us. We had made it – once we were aboard we were home free.

And hopefully that would be the last time I would ever have to look at Amon ever again.


	5. The Voice In The Night - A Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro wants to make friends with Mako and Bolin, and asks Korra for advice on the matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Time got away from me yesterday. This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I hope you all still enjoy!

I shuffled my feet as I stood outside the door that led to Bolin and Mako’s apartment. I was antsy – I didn’t even really know them that well, should I really be making a house call? I sighed, raised my hand to knock, then stopped at the last second and let my hand fall to my side again. They probably didn’t even want me here. I was their opponent – I considered them my rivals for my whole pro bending season. Why would they ever want to talk to me?

I turned on my heel and headed for the gym. This was stupid. I was stupid. Korra was my friend – and that was still a fresh development. That was enough. I shouldn’t-

“Taro?” I froze, wincing. I spun on my heel again, this time scratching my head as I shot Bolin an embarrassed smile.

“Uh, hey,” I replied. “Sorry, I was just-“

Before I could finish my sentence, Bolin was headed straight for me.

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold on, what are you-“ I tripped over my feet trying to back up and still keep hold of the paper bag in my hands, but Bolin was too fast. He wrapped his arms around me as I looked on in horror.

“Mako told me what you did,” Bolin said, still crushing me in a tight hug. I was stiff, with my arms stuck to my sides, and he was way too close and I didn’t like it at all. I wiggled until he finally let me go and stepped back. At least he looked a little abashed after it.

“Thank you. Taro. I know I’m not exactly your favorite person in the world,” Bolin said, with a tiny smile. I tried not to blush any more than I had to. What a whole-sale idiot.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not a big deal. Anyway, I brought you and Mako some food. I didn’t know if you were hurt or anything, so I brought you some,” I mumbled. I felt even more idiotic. Bolin wasn’t hurt! Mako wasn’t hurt! I just felt like I needed some sort of closure with the whole thing. Maybe to know that Bolin really is OK? Or that everything was back to normal?

“Oh, sweet!” Bolin grabbed the bag out of my hand before I could even offer it to him, ripping into it and pulling an insulated container out, and he gasped louder than I had ever heard him before. I jumped, my eyebrows scrunched together in shock and irritation.

“What? What is it?” Was he allergic to it or something?

“These are water tribe noodles! And from my favorite spot too! I love these, they’re like my fourth – no! They’re my third favorite meal besides those buns from that one place Mako always goes, and-“

I held my hand up and shook my head. Dear god, was he trying to make me want to never talk to him again? I swear I felt like my face was so hot it was going to explode.

“Yeah, yeah, they’re noodles. Remember to share them with your brother,” I chided, like I was in any position to tell him what to do. I turned on my heel for the last time, finally leaving with what was left of my dignity.

“Will do! Thank again! For like- OK so one thank you for the food and another for saving me!”

I just waved over my shoulder as I made my escape. Spirits, how he tested me. I wouldn’t be stopping by there again anytime soon, if he was just going to assault me with… poor excuses for hugs, and _then_ over-compliment the takeout I brought him. It’s not like it was homemade or something stupid! It was just that I had stopped for dinner the night before and I thought “hey, these are nice noodles, maybe I should use them as an excuse to make sure Mako and Bolin are still breathing” and then he repays me? With _compliments_? Horrifying.

I spent my shift at the dyeing facility trying not to zone out and accidentally turn all the menswear pink by accident. Being nice was hard, alright! I knew I didn’t want to be just a mean rival to Mako and Bolin anymore – I mean, they were my friend’s teammates – but I had no idea how to treat them now. Actually, come to think of it, I didn’t really know how to make friends at all, really. Korra was the only real friend I had at the Southern Tribe, and the only people who I spent any time with now were my teammates (who I now spent no time with, as they both had better things to do post-season), and my coworkers, who all looked dead most of the time. And I hardly thought either group really counted, seeing as it was all business when we spent time together.

So how could I befriend the brothers without it being… weird? I frowned as I clocked out. The best choice would be to go and see Korra. She was the Avatar – she probably knew all about making new friends, I mean, she managed to get along well with both Mako and Bolin! She had to have some secrets she wasn’t sharing.

X

“Korra!” I waved as I ran to meet her. The new friendship was still a little rough around the edges, but whenever I saw Korra, I felt lighter. It was nice to have someone to talk to – someone to go and see just because.

“Oh, hi Taro,” Korra’s eyebrows raised, but she still smiled as I jogged the last of the way to meet her.

“What’s up?” I asked, sitting on the ledge of one of the gardens. Ah, that felt nice after being on my feet all day.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” Korra chuckled. “Didn’t you have work today?”

“Well, yeah,” I said, repositioning myself so I could lay on the ledge now. Korra leaned over me, blocking out the sun, and I squinted.

“Taro, I know we haven’t hung out much in the last five years, but I can still tell when you’re all worked up about something,” Korra teased. I huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of my face.

“I’m not worked up! Look, I’m laying down,” I gestured to all of me. Korra raised an eyebrow and did that stupid half-smirk of hers.

“Uh-huh,” she deadpanned. I groaned, knocking my head back into the stone.

“OK, you got me. I need help, oh wise and mighty Avatar,” I pleaded, slapping some sarcastic praise on there for good measure. Korra snorted and sat next to my head, crossing her arms.

“Oh lowly subject, what troubles you?” she replied. I grinned at that. It was that kind of stupid thing that reminded me of all the dumb things we did as kids.

“I figured, since I was friends with you, and you’re on the Fire Ferrets…”

“Yeah…?” Korra raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. I blushed and looked away.

“I want to be friends with Mako and Bolin. But I don’t know how! I don’t think that before our whole rescue mission I had spoken more than ten words to Mako. And Bolin – I’ve been making fun of him ever since I met him. And like – not fun making fun of him, like, I’ve said some rude stuff –“

“I’m sure it couldn’t have been that bad –“

“I told him his hair looked like he had shown the barber a turtleduck’s ass and said ‘can you give me this, but worse?’” I threw my hands over my face as Korra burst into peals of laughter.

“OK, but is it really an insult if it’s true?” Korra counters, and now I was the one who couldn’t control my laughter. I punched her in the leg.

“Hey! You’re supposed to be Avatar-ing! Helping! Not instigating!”

Korra just laughed more and tried to mess up my hair until I finally sat up and gave her the stink eye, my braid still in extreme disarray.

“Alright, alright. But honestly, I can’t teach you how to be someone’s friend. I mean, you’re being my friend right now! And you’re great at it!”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Ooookay, maybe there was like, one slip up. Or two, it doesn’t matter, what matters is, you can be fun! You can be nice! Just be yourself, I’m sure Mako and Bolin would love to be your friends.”

I raised my other eyebrow.

“Fine, fine. Mako probably doesn’t want to be anyone’s friend. But Bolin is nice!”

I sighed. Even though Korra wasn’t exactly the treasure trove of wisdom I was hoping for, at least she was honest. And it was nice to talk to her after a long day of work.

“You were absolutely no help at all,” I sighed. Then I smiled. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” Korra replied, smiling and sitting back down, looking away from me. I sat down beside her, looking at the sunset.

“So, you never really did tell me what’s up. How was your day?”

Korra kept looking off, and there was hesitation in her voice when she answered.

“Oh, you know, just the usual. Airbending training. Meditating. Little firebending review. I practiced with Bolin and Mako this morning.”

“And how was Mako…?” I asked, a tease in my voice. That would cheer her up, right?

“He was fine.”

It was like she didn’t even notice. I frowned. There was clearly something bugging her, but it didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it. I was a little hurt, but it wasn’t like I talked to Korra about anything deeper than basic issues like making friends, or how I tried a new dumpling place for lunch and it was absolutely disgusting. It wasn’t like I told her about the weird aura Amon exuded – the terrifying pit in my stomach that I felt to the fullest at the Revelation. We all had things we had to work through ourselves.

“Pema should be almost finished with dinner. I’m supposed to help her set the table tonight,” Korra broke the silence, with a sad smile. She wanted me to leave. That was fine. It was OK.

I smiled back, trying not to seem hurt. “Oh, yeah, I should grab some dinner too. See you soon!” I called, waving before I turned away and let my face fall.

“Yeah, see ya!”


	6. The Voice In The Night - Dressed In Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro attends Korra's gala, and confronts her friend about the taskforce and her distant behavior.

There was more to my life than just pro bending, but whenever I had nowhere else to go, I found myself heading to the arena. There was no rhyme or reason to it – sometimes I just needed to spend time in the gym and clear my head. At this point in the season, it was empty very early in the morning and very late at night, so I almost never ran into any actual teams as I practiced my forms.

But, there are always exceptions.

“Korra!- oh, it’s you,” Bolin’s face fell as soon as I entered the gym. I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Ew, it’s Bolin,” I mocked back, and he scoffed, offended. I snorted. “Sorry, I didn’t know you all were practicing.”

“We were supposed to,” Mako deadpanned, never looking up from the firebending combos he was practicing. Bolin sighed and picked up where his brother had left off.

“Korra hasn’t shown up to practice in a few days. Some weird Tarrlok guy on the council is trying to get her to join his fancy Amon taskforce,” Bolin waggled his fingers for emphasis, and I shook my head as I set my gear down. Well, they were down a waterbender, so I might as well step in.

“Oh, I heard about that on the radio. I didn’t know he was trying to force Korra into it, though,” I frowned. I hadn’t seen Korra in a couple days, but that was just my work schedule. She had my number – she hadn’t even called? I slapped another combo out. The Amon taskforce… my stomach flipped. A councilman shouldn’t be involving Korra in something so dangerous. She could handle herself, but she wasn’t even a fully realized Avatar yet. Didn’t they have cops better suited for that job?

“Yeah, he’s sending her all these fancy gift baskets – which I, personally, find pretty tacky!” Bolin wagged his finger in emphasis before he tossed another three discs at the net. I chuckled. Of course that’s what Bolin was focused on – not the fact that a full grown council member was trying to goad Korra into a taskforce against the creepiest, scariest man Republic City had ever known.

“Don’t forget the gala,” Mako added with another fireblast.

“Oh yeah!” Bolin ceased his bending, and I followed suit with a quirked brow. “Apparently this Tarrlok guy is also throwing this huge fancy party – all in Korra’s honor – and what’s even _crazier_ is that Mako has a date for it.”

It was a good thing I wasn’t bending, because I certainly wouldn’t be able to focus on it.

“Wait, he what, and Mako has- _what_?”

“Tarrlok is throwing a gala in honor of the Avatar and I’m taking Asami Sato,” Mako even stopped bending as he leveled me with a cold look. I probably looked like he slapped me.

“Wait, is-“

“That the same Asami Sato whose dad invented Satomobiles and who so generously decided to fund the Fire Ferrets for the tournaments? Yeah!” Bolin was just as shocked as I was, and he was the one dictating the information.

“They paid for you guys?”

“We have to wear their logo on our uniforms but still, a little promo for some cash is great, Mako’s new girlfriend is great!” Bolin flew through it all, and I felt like a whole train of information had blown through my mind and only around 45% of it stuck.

“Can I come?”

“Can you – of course you can come to the championships?” Bolin was more confused than ever.

“Yeah, you can come to the gala. Asami said I could bring whoever else I wanted. We can just say you’re Bolin’s date.”

A second passed for the comment to sink in, and my face turned bright red.

“Eugh!”

Bolin and I both cringed at the same time, the same disgusted noise leaving our lips as he cringed away from me and I shook my head, my arms crossed in a big ex.

“So we are _not_ -“

“I’m not comfortable-!”

“Oh shut up, I was joking!” Mako cut us both off, rolling his eyes and grumbling something like “that’s the last time I ever make a joke.”

X

I was nervous about finding something appropriate to wear for the gala, but luckily, Asami Sato had a dress for me. And a suit for Bolin – and Mako too.

“It’s so nice to meet one of Mako’s friends – I heard a few of your games on the radio,” Asami commented with a soft smile as she helped me pick out something from the insane assortment of dresses she had at her disposal. I rifled through them, hangers clacking, and raised an eyebrow in her direction.

“Really? I didn’t take you as a pro bending fan,” I commented, then winced. “Uh, not that you couldn’t be – I’m just – yeah, I’ll stop talking.”

Asami laughed, covering the chuckle with her hand. God, her nails were perfect. Mine hardly existed.

“It’s OK, I know a lot of people think that pro bending is low-brow, but I find it exciting,” she giggled. “It’s a shame the Catgators won’t be playing in the championship.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But we put up a good fight, and we couldn’t have lost to a better team,” I shrugged, and Asami giggled more. I tried not to blush – she was really, really pretty. I had never really interacted with someone like her before, and I was floundering.

“It’s nice that you all can be friends even though you’re on opposing teams,” she made small talk as I finally pulled a pale blue dress from the rack.

“What about this one?” I asked. It was simple, silver embroidery running across the fabric in lazy swirls. Asami nodded, cradling her face with her hand.

“Oh, I think that’ll look really good on you. It matches your eyes! Wait here-“

I planted my feet firm as Asami flitted around the room, gathering a set of silver flats and a light blue ribbon before depositing them in my waiting hands. I fumbled, trying not to drop anything.

“There! That should do it. I’ll leave you to it then. We’ll be heading out in a half an hour.”

I just nodded, trying not to seem too intimidated. Here I was, meeting Mako’s girlfriend, learning that I was apparently his friend (he had never called me his friend in his entire life) and now said girlfriend was leading me, resident Southern Water Tribe bumpkin, through the intricacies of dressing up for a high society gala.

It wasn’t like I had _never_ been to any fancy events before, but a coming of age feast was a lot less formal than a Republic City Gala. In the South Pole, most of the time we just wore whatever furs were least-stained, at least in my family. This dress felt like it would rip straight in half if I looked at it the wrong way.

I slid it on, fumbling with the zipper until I figured out how it worked. Once it was on, I looked in the mirror and felt like a stranger. I didn’t look like myself – The dress was supposed to accentuate my waist, but with my measly chest and larger hips and thighs, I just looked disproportionate. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. My broad shoulders stretched at the seams, and the short sleeves of the dress cut right across the center of my shoulder muscle, cutting into my skin painfully and probably cutting off my circulation. It didn’t sit on my shoulders correctly at all, and it looked horrible. I scoured the dressing room for a shawl to cover myself with and managed to find a white fur piece that covered the sizing issues.

I tried to move past it and pulled my hair into a low bun – nothing fancy, but something to keep it out of my face. I secured it with the ribbon and pulled on the shoes, which looked like they would be uncomfortable but were surprisingly pliable. I sighed. This was so out of my comfort zone – but it was for Korra.

Korra. I bit my lip. She hadn’t even called to invite me. Did something happen the last time we talked? What was it that she hadn’t told me about? Did I upset her by saying I wanted to be friends with Mako and Bolin – did she think I was trying to go after Mako? My eyes widened at the thought, and I started to panic. But wait – no! She hadn’t said a thing out of place when I was talking about making friends with them, and I definitely didn’t have any interest in Mako beyond a passing “I’d be down if you asked” mentality. But that was it, I swear!

I shook my head, rubbing my temples with my pointer and ring fingers. Maybe it wasn’t me? Maybe Korra was just preoccupied. She _did_ have some creepy councilman asking her if she would be a part of his Amon taskforce, and I’m sure that had to be stressful. Plus all her Avatar stuff. Maybe she just wasn’t one for phone calls?

Whatever it was, maybe I could talk to her about it tonight. I didn’t want this to fester like our last misunderstanding.

I shrugged the shawl back into place as I stepped outside of my dressing room, smoothing the lines of my dress. It made me feel naked – it was so light, and the material was so slippery. Maybe I should have picked out something with some more substance.

As I was busy worrying about my fashion sense, a door to my left clicked open. I glanced up, expecting to see Asami, but instead it was Mako – Mako, in a suit, to be precise, and an equally-equipped Bolin right behind him.

I whistled low, surprised. “Wow, looking real snazzy there.”

“Thanks,” Mako replied, looking away and fussing with his cuffs.

“You really think I’m snazzy?” Bolin asked, popping his collar and striking a pose. I rolled my eyes at him.

“No, only _Mako’s_ snazzy, you look _horrible_ ,” I deadpanned. Bolin didn’t pick up on the sarcasm though, and his face fell. He looked genuinely hurt, and I felt my heart skip.

“Oh…” he pouted, and I shouldn’t have felt bad – I mean, I had said far worse to him when I was taunting him in the ring, or in the locker room. But I didn’t just want to be a friendly rival anymore – I wanted to be his friend, so I should act like one.

“Oh, Bolin, no, it was a joke. You look very snazzy,” I tried to pick up the pieces, with a forced smile, just trying to cheer him up. He pouted at me, his eyes all watery, but still hopeful.

“Really?”

I so very much wanted to reply with “yeah, you’re the prettiest princess in all the land,” with some fitting hand motions to accentuate it, but I pushed the instinctual, teasing, sarcastic Taro way down, willing myself to be kind. Friendly. A friend.

“Yes, really,” I tried to be as sincere as possible, but I could feel the onset of an eye twitch as I tried to stifle both my blush as well as my sarcasm. Bolin lit up then, his goofy smile returning in full force. He giggled, popping his collar more forcefully this time. I even stifled my eye roll.

“Nice! We’re gonna be the snazziest pro bending, gala-attending, Sato-knowing guys in all of Republic City!” Bolin threw one arm around me and the other around Mako, pulling us both into a squeeze.

“Hey-hey! Easy! If I put too much strain on this it’ll rip!” I complained, face boiling. Bolin released us with a chuckle, and even Mako scoffed this time, waving us forward.

“C’mon you two. Asami’s probably waiting in the Satomobile for us.”

X

The gala was mostly a whole crap ton of old people, and then Asami, Mako, Bolin, and I. It was a good thing I snagged a few of those crab puffs when I walked in, because without Korra here, it was just a snooze-fest.

“What do you even do at a gala anyway?” I asked Bolin, because Mako was too busy making goo-goo eyes at Asami, who was laughing and hanging off his arm. I might have been a little bit jealous – of Mako, or Asami, I wasn’t quite sure, but the general pretty-person aura from their direction definitely made me feel some sort of bad about myself.

“Uh, I dunno. Eat food? Talk to politicians?” Bolin shrugged. I sighed and scratched at my left arm under the shawl, trying to put even pressure on the dress so it didn’t rip.

“This sucks, is Korra even here?” I asked, before spotting a waiter in the distance with what looked like tiny pastries. I flagged him down and Bolin and I grabbed three of the snacks each, earning the dirtiest of dirty looks from the waiter.

“I noe!” Bolin remarked, not swallowing before he spoke, then immediately taking another bite. “Ike, I touht bein-“

He coughed, choking as he tried to speak and eat all at once. I groaned under my breath. He finally swallowed, then miraculously spoke without stuffing his face first.

“I thought being out with Mako and his cool new girlfriend would be fun, but so they’ve just been so involved with each other, and the food is _not_ that good and – _hey there’s Korra_!”

Bolin grabbed my arm and I almost choked on the pastry I was eating, the other that I was holding dropped as I tried to pry him off my arm.

“Dress – Bolin, the dress!” I warned, slapping at his fingers until he finally let go with a “sorry, sorry!”

Some man in Water Tribe garb was introducing Korra to Hiroshi Sato. I assumed he was this Tarrlok everyone had been talking about, and my gut twisted for no good reason. That was weird - was I just nervous about seeing Korra again? I frowned, biting the inside of my lip.

“Hey, Korra!” Mako called, waving as he and Asami took their places next to her dad. I followed close behind with Bolin, joining the circle as Korra’s expression turned from a polite smile, at Hiroshi Sato to a barely-concealed frown at Mako and Asami. Oh crap… yeah, that was awkward, wasn’t it?

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Asami started with a gentle smile, her hand still so daintily wrapped around Mako’s upper arm. “Mako has told me so much about you.”

“Oh really? Because he didn’t tell me anything about you at all,” Korra couldn’t conceal her frown anymore, but after a beat she managed to school herself and asked politely, ”How did you two meet?”

At Korra’s question, Bolin jumped into action immediately, quickly summarizing how the two had met by chance and the fact that Asami’s dad was paying for their stake in the tournament. Korra frowned, raising an eyebrow at me. Did she think I knew? I waved my hands in front of my face, the dress groaning in protest.

“Hey, I was just as shocked as you. I found out earlier today,” I explained, and Korra shook her head. I deflated. Should _I_ have called _her_? Was this against some unspoken girl code that I obviously needed explained to me in explicit detail?

Tarrlok called over chief Beifong to discuss something with Korra, and I shook my head, trying to clear it. Did I really mess up? And if I did, how could I fix it? I grabbed a glass of water off one of the waiter’s trays for something to occupy my hands with. Would this be appropriate to bring up now? Chief Beifong walked away, and Korra looked even more annoyed than before. The creepy councilman followed after, with a passing comment to Korra, and I swooped in before Bolin could, effectively hip-checking him into Mako and Asami.

“Hey Korra? Can we talk?” I asked, fiddling with the glass in my hands. Korra sighed, looking so tired, but she tried to offer me an exhausted smile anyway.

“Sure, Taro. You wanna get some fresh air?”

“Yeah, I would like that.”

I fiddled with the glass as we stepped outside, and the fresh air filled me up. My stomach was returning to normal, and the anxiety was subsiding as we approached the railing.

“What did you want to talk about?” Korra asked, leaning against the railing. I took a breath.

“Look, I don’t know if I said something wrong or what, but I’m really sorry,” I started. Korra looked at me like I had two heads.

“Why would you have done anything wrong?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed. I shrugged, and then I remembered the dress as it strained against my frame and I returned to fiddling with the glass instead.

“I mean, that night I came to you for advice, you seemed kind of out of it, and I didn’t even know you were having a party thrown in your honor until Mako and Bolin told me, so I thought maybe I said something back then that made you upset… so I’m sorry.”

Korra shook her head, groaning as she leaned heavily against the rail.

“No, that’s not it at all – you didn’t do anything Taro. It’s Tarrlok. I didn’t tell you about this party because I didn’t want any of you here! Even _I_ don’t want to be here – it’s just a ploy for him to get me to join his stupid task force!” Korra slammed a fist against the railing, and I put a hand on her forearm, concerned.

“Hey, it’s OK, I’m… I’m sorry. I know that has to be rough. I mean, taking on Amon is pretty terrifying,” I admitted with a shrug and a nervous chuckle. Korra shook her head more violently, pulling her arm away.

“No! That’s not it – I’m not scared of anyone!” she yelled, clenching her fists at her sides, the air around her hands steaming with unlit flame. I stepped back, waving my hands and shaking my head.

“No, I didn’t mean that-I-“ I huffed a breath out my nose, then inhaled sharply. If I wanted to say what I needed to, I couldn’t think about it first, I had to just spit it out. “I’m just projecting, because Amon terrifies me, Korra. I didn’t want to tell you, but that night at the Revelation, I felt that fear worse than anything else. It’s not like normal fear, it’s worse – like my body is actively rejecting being close to him. It’s horrifying.”

I wanted to cradle myself, I wanted to scream at the thought of seeing Amon again. I wanted desperately for the police to just take care of it – to catch him and leave my friends out of it.

“I guess I’m scared for you. It was bad enough with Bolin, but if you got captured, or-“

When I looked up, Korra was staring at me, unmoving. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears, and as I stopped she sniffled, lifting her wrist to rub at her eyes.

“I- Taro, I can’t-“ she shook her head, backing away from me. Before I could even open my mouth to beg her to stay, she turned, rushing into the gala. I groaned, threw myself against the railing. I didn’t even know how to keep the friends I had! Things had been fine, and I had ruined everything! I slammed a fist against the rail, and the glass of water in my left hand turned to ice, the glass expanding and shattering with a delicate clatter.

That night, Korra agreed to join Tarrlok’s Amon taskforce. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

X

I didn’t see Korra after that night. I didn’t even feel like heading to the gym most of the time, because the one time I did stop by it was a complete downer. It seemed like Korra wasn’t just avoiding me, but Mako and Bolin too, and all the free time left me alone with my thoughts far too often. At work, I worried about Korra. At home, I worried she would never forgive me. Even my dreams were plagued with fears – of having to face Amon by myself, of Korra and Bolin both kidnapped again, of Mako and Bolin and Korra all hating me.

The nightmares were the worst the night that Korra was set to meet Amon one-on-one at the statue of Avatar Aang. The announcement horrified me – I should go out there and help, I should back Korra up –

But I didn’t. Because I was scared. Because Amon _terrified_ me. And that night I dreamed that the whole world turned dim with Korra’s bending stolen, that darkness won out and snuffed out everything I loved.

The next morning I shivered as I rubbed my face in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, still in just my shorts and tank top. I had already washed twice, but the redness wouldn’t leave my eyes. I sighed and bonked my forehead against the rim of the sink, groaning. Why was I such a coward? If anything had happened to Korra, it would be my fault.

I pulled myself up and was shuffling my way to the kitchen when someone knocked on my door. I raised an eyebrow, and a second knock connected. I sighed, shrugging and rubbing at my eyes again before opening the door a crack.

“Who is i- Korra?” I blinked, rubbed at my eyes again. She stood outside my door, her eyebrows scrunched together in concern.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah – are you OK? Did Amon show up?” I asked, and the fear gripped me again. Could Korra still bend? Was she hurt?

She hung her head, and her bangs covered her face.

“Korra?”

“He came. He could have taken my bending – he could have killed me!-“

“Oh spirits-“ I grabbed Korra’s shoulders and tugged her inside, wrapped her in a hug, even though it was awkward for me. My heart pounded, and I could hardly hear myself over the blood rushing in my ears.

“Taro, you were right. You were right and I snapped at you. Amon is- I was-“ Korra shuddered, trying to keep from crying, and I reached down to grab her hands.

“It’s OK, you don’t have to say anything,” I reassured her. Because she didn’t. I didn’t care that she snapped at me – I just wanted her to be safe.

“No, I do. Because I should have listened to you – I wasn’t ready, and I _am_ scared of Amon, and I can’t do this alone anymore,” Korra sniffled, holding back her tears, and I just hugged her again. I didn’t know what else to do.

“You couldn’t have known – you were just trying to help,” I consoled, “but you never had to do this alone – you shouldn’t have to do this alone, ever. I’m not going to think less of you for being scared, or hurt, or for feeling like a coward – because I feel like that too, especially about this. And Bolin and Mako, and hey, even _Tenzin_ – they feel it too. You may be the Avatar, but you’re human too.”

Korra hugged me back, and we stood there, in the doorway of my crappy apartment, holding each other. And I didn’t ever want to let go of her again.


	7. The Spirit of Competition - A Jealous Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra struggles with confessing her feelings to Mako, and Taro seeks to help her out. However, when Korra is rejected and instead gravitates towards Bolin, it forms a rift in their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is. one of my FAVORITE chapters so far, well, this one and the next one. we're finally getting some romantic tension between Taro and Bolin!

“Is... is this something people do a lot around here?” I felt out of place in my tunic and pants at this restaurant. It wasn’t that it was _fancy_ fancy, but everyone else was wearing casual dresses, or at least… shirts that had never seen a fireblast before.

“I think so! I mean, Jinora’s always talking about brunch, so… brunch!” Korra gestured to the general area surrounding us, with other friends enjoying a nice early lunch. Or late breakfast? It wasn’t entirely clear.

“ _Jinora_ says it’s popular? Isn’t she like, eight?” I asked. We were momentarily interrupted by the waitress, who, in addition to our previously-poured fancy juice drinks, now offered us a small tray of pastries, a shareable bowl of rice, and two small platters of food. My eyes were probably as wide as the plates she served us with.

“First of all, she’s _ten_ , and she’s lived here her whole life! I would think she knows more about the culture than I do,” Korra counters with a chuckle, sipping her drink and thanking the waitress as I nodded.

“Whatever man, I forgot what I was gonna say when I saw those,” I immediately speared a fried egg with my chopsticks and started to devour it while Korra chuckled at me.

“This is nice. I feel like there’s not much down time between taskforce and pro bending nowadays,” Korra leaned her elbow against the table, nibbling on a puffy pink pastry.

I grinned, following with a sip of my drink.

“Yeah it is nice. I’m excited to watch you guys tonight. How do the new uniforms look?”

Korra made a face like something stank and I raised an eyebrow, stabbing at the rice with my chopsticks. Korra rolled her eyes at me like I was stupid.

“Uh, it doesn’t matter how they look? What matters is that we have to wear _Future Industries_ all over our chests,” Korra grumbled, gesturing at her shirt before shoving her own serving of rice into her mouth with much more force than was absolutely necessary.

“I have a sneaking suspicion you’re not just upset the logo is ugly,” I commented, followed by another bite of egg.

Korra sighed. “You know how I feel about Mako. And he just… he’s with _her_ now. She showed up at practice today to drop off the shirts, and it’s like she’s taunting me! She walked up to Mako, and in front of everyone, did this! Here, lean a little closer-“

I hesitated, but did at I was told, leaning over my own plate as Korra leaned over hers. Wow, she was getting kinda close – wait, very close. My cheeks burst into a blush and I opened my mouth to protest and pull away before she could – was she going to _kiss_ me? -

She rubbed her nose against mine, and I wrinkled mine in disgust, reeling back and rubbing it to disguise exactly how red I had gotten.

“She did that! Right in front of me!” Korra threw her hands up, exasperated. The cogs in my mind struggled to keep up, still reeling from Korra. Face close. Girl pretty.

“That’s horrible,” I deadpanned. I was focusing on my breathing exercises, circling my hand in my lap to will the blood in my face to subside and my heartbeat to calm.

“It really is, ugh…” Korra shoved a pastry in her mouth and chewed, even though she didn’t look that enthused about it. “What should I do? I mean – you’ve dated people, right? How do I get him to like me?”

I almost choked on the rice I had tried to stuff my face with. I coughed, grabbing my drink and sipping for a solid ten seconds.

“So… I’m guessing you didn’t date?” Korra chuckled a little as I writhed in pain. When I got my voice back, I held up a finger in her direction.

“Hey, hey, it’s not my fault, the South Pole didn’t have that many options, but I did… well, I wouldn’t call it a relationship…” I scratched the back of my head, shrugging. “You remember Kyona?”

“Oh! That girl who always wore her hair like Katara. Wait,” Korra shot me a searching look. “…you like girls?”

I almost spit my drink out.

“Yes? I thought you knew?”

“How would I know?”

I waved my arms and shook my head. That – that wasn’t a conversation to get into right now. “Yes, I like girls. And boys – I like ‘em all, I guess?” I shrugged. “I dunno. Anyway – Kyona.”

“Oh, right, right,” Korra sat up straight, eyes bright as she waited for me to teach her how to win a guy. Spirits, help me.

“Uh. We only dated for like a month when we were fourteen, so it’s not the same as what you’ve got going on, but,” I pointed at her, and she leaned closer, intrigued. “I won her over by saving her from a collapsing show pillar. Ran up, tackled her to the ground, and with a quick old-“ I pushed my hands out to the sides, mimicking the waterbending move – “saved her life. We had a pretty good time together, until a couple weeks later some guy saved her from an arctic hippo, which I have to admit, _was_ more impressive.”

I nodded and took another bite of egg. When I next caught eyes with Korra, she had an eyebrow raised.

“What?”

“That’s it? You just saved her from some collapsing snow? Taro, _there’s no snow here_!” Korra gestured wildly, and I just shrugged.

“Hey! I never said I was a love guru! Maybe you should take your own advice, what you told me about how to make friends? Just be yourself, be honest. Maybe just tell him how you feel?” I offered, shrugging my shoulders, my palms towards the sky in the universal sign for “maaaaybe?”

Korra considered that for a moment, then shook her head.

“Nah. That’d never work.”

X

I was bouncing around, anxious like _I_ was headed into the ring instead of Korra. I tried to work off my energy by pacing on the viewing platform before the game, but I was still rocking on my heels as I waved them off. This would be easy for them, though. They had been training like mad, and they all worked together so well. It would be so nice to just watch them as a fan instead of analyzing every single action and considering how to counter it, for once.

I was right – it was a quick match, one dazzling play after another. I had spent a little bit of my time in the gym with them, as Korra’s waterbending coach, but by the looks of it, she never needed my help, with the way she worked together so effortlessly with the rest of the team. Once the final bell rang I screamed in victory, and as soon as everybody was out of the ring I gave them each a high five as they stepped off the elevator.

And I tried not to listen in, I really did, but the tone of voice Korra used for Mako struck me, and I kept my ears pricked as I looked out across the arena, trying to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping.

“You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring too,” Korra said, and I grinned. Was she really going to go for it? I crossed my fingers. C’mon, Korra!

“Uh, sure,” Mako responded, and I winced. Ugh. I couldn’t tell from his tone if he was interested, stupid, dismissive, or just… Mako.

“I was thinking we should spend some time together.” Korra asked, with a shy lilt of her voice. I nodded. That was a nice, easy way to bring it up without seeming too forward.

“We’ve been spending lots of time together.” Ouch, Mako! He sounded playful enough, but I knew a friendship deflection when I heard one. I frowned – I had thought he really liked her, even if he was dating Asami.

“I mean outside of the gym, or when we’re not searching for lost family members or fighting equalists,” Korra chuckled. Oh no, Korra, no, he obviously wasn’t interested! I felt her pain already.

“I don’t know, Asami and I are-“ Here it comes.

“ _Look I really like you and I think we should date_!” Korra blurted out all in one go. I covered my ears with my hands, my eyes wide as I stared directly at the ring _. No_! Korra! What- I-

I didn’t hear whatever happened next, because I was trying to forget I had heard any of it, but by the time I turned around, Korra was walking away from him, and Mako was holding Asami in his arms. Geez, when did she get here? I pressed off the railing, ready to console Korra, but it looked like Bolin got there first.

“So, Korra… I was thinking… Me and you, you and me… we could grab some dinner? Maybe a… date type of scenario?” Bolin leaned against the table, flashing his thousand-watt smile. I grimaced. Oh spirits, not two broken hearts in one night!

“That’s really sweet, Bolin, but… I don’t really feel datable right now.” Korra slumped, scooting so she was sitting on the table, her legs dangling as she hung her head.

“Are you kidding me? You’re smart, and funny, and oh, really strong, and super pretty, like really pretty! You’re like, the most incredible, best girl in the whole world!” Bolin emphasized each point with a wave of his hand, and my heart hurt. Oh, poor Bolin.

But then… Korra giggled. She _giggled_?

“You really feel that way about me?” she asked, looking over her shoulder bashfully. I tried to retrieve my jaw from the floor. That- he- but I thought – she liked Mako?

“I felt that way since the moment I saw you!” Bolin replied, with less bravado and more sincerity. The pang in my chest at those words reminded me of what I had told Korra earlier – that I had never had a real partner. And here she was – two of them, right at her fingertips.

“We’re gonna have so much fun together. Oh! Wait right here, I gotta get something, but trust, it’ll be the best date you’ll ever have!” Bolin scrambled off through the door, and before Korra could follow him, I jogged over, putting a hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“Are you OK?”

Korra looked at me, still flustered but trying to smile. “Of course I’m OK! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I thought you liked Mako. And didn’t you agree with me when I that Bolin’s hair looked like a turtleduck’s ass?”

Korra’s lips formed a strong line. “Listen, I know it’s a quick change, but Bolin’s a nice guy! I think we could have fun together,” she tried to smile to appease me, but I wasn’t buying it.

“Are you sure? Because it looks like you’re just using him to feel better since Mako rejected you. Korra, I get that you’re hurt, but there are better ways-“

“Using him? What kind of person do you think I am?” Korra scoffed at me, clearly offended. That hurt, it did, but I bit my lip and held my ground.

“I think you’re confused, and sad, and upset, and that’s OK, but you shouldn’t-“

“Well I think you’re just jealous!” I stopped, and blinked.

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, you’re jealous that I’m going out with Bolin, that he liked me more than he likes you!” I shook my head, my eyes wide. Was I really hearing this?

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me!”

Korra glared at me, flipping her hair as she stormed off. I scoffed, absolutely offended. The nerve of her! I looked over my shoulder at Mako and Asami, and they averted their gazes lightning quick. I balled my fists and growled, storming out the door and down the hall.

I didn’t like Bolin! What kind of self-projecting, rude, conceited-

“Ugh!” I yelled, stomping my foot. I think I heard a pipe break in the distance, but I just kept walking.

I didn’t like Bolin. I liked him as a friend, sure. Like I liked Korra as a friend!

My mind flashed back to brunch where I thought Korra was going to kiss me, and I shook my head violently.

I wasn’t jealous, was I? Maybe not because I like Bolin, but because I liked Korra? I stopped walking to think, waited maybe ten seconds, then slapped myself. What was I, an idiot? If I wanted to date Korra, why would I have been helping her get with Mako?

But… maybe I was jealous, in my own way. There was something about seeing everyone around me pair off that made my heart hurt. It wasn’t over anyone in particular, but a general desire for a partner, a craving for a relationship of my own. And maybe, a little bit of fear that all my friends would be moving on to relationships and leave me behind again.

I sighed. Even if that was the case, it still didn’t justify what Korra did. She knew Bolin liked her, and I knew she didn’t like him, and she was going to use his kindness to make herself feel better. It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t what a good friend would do. I set my jaw. I wasn’t going to back down from this.

X

I made the executive decision to commandeer the opposing team’s viewing platform for the quarter finals. It would just be too much to see Korra again after that fight. Or any of them honestly. After a night’s rest and a day’s work, I was tired, and I didn’t feel like causing any more drama before their match. The quarter-finals were a big deal, and even if I was upset right now, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I let my feelings get in the way of the Fire Ferrets’ chances at the tournament.

I was practically biting my nails when the announcer read his opener. The Boar-q-pines would be the first real challenge for the Fire Ferrets, and if they weren’t on their A-game, I had no idea if they would even be able to make it through. I gripped the rail as if I would die if I let go. Hopefully everyone was happy in their newfound relationships and it would be an easy win for them.

Right out the gate it was bad. Korra slammed into Mako and I knew something was off.

“I was right,” I groaned. The only thing that would be throwing Korra off would be a mental block, and it had to be her own guilt at using Bolin. That was good for me, in a sense, because it meant I wasn’t just projecting my own insecurities. But at this point, I almost wished I had been, as the two of them were knocked into zone two, Bolin following close behind.

I raked my hands down my face as they squared up for round two. Was there any hope?

The bell for round two sounded, and I almost didn’t want to watch, leaning heavily against the railing. Korra floundered still, and even Mako was off his game. I groaned. They were toast.

But, just before I was about to hang my head in shame, my eyes locked onto Bolin, and I raised a single eyebrow.

He was bending like I had never seen him before. I knew he was a natural defender, that he always would come to Mako’s rescue, or to back up his other teammates, but I had never seen him pick up slack like this. Well, maybe it was because he never had the chance. My mouth fell open as he let loose a quick flurry of discs, ducking and dodging, bending so quickly it almost didn’t seem possible. It was incredible. I knew he was fast, but I had never seen him move like that. The announcer called him a one-man bending battalion, and… I was inclined to agree. He was incredible.

I blushed, remembering what Korra had said yesterday. No! I wasn’t into Bolin! He was just a really good bender. A really, _really_ good bender. I swallowed harshly, tugging at my collar.

The bell for round two sounded, and I sighed in relief. At least they had a chance – no thanks to Korra or Mako. I shook my head. It would be tight this last round.

But Bolin could only handle so much slack, and by the third round I could see that he was tired. It wasn’t long until the round was called at a tie, and I looked like I was trying to physically eject myself from the platform, with how far over the railing I was leaning. If Mako took this tiebreaker –

But no, Bolin stepped forward and I blinked, eyes wide. I had never seen him take a tiebreaker before.

And oh man, he didn’t disappoint. I don’t think I had ever screamed “go Bolin!” quite as loud. He ducked, and tumbled, and when the opposing earthbender threw him, I cried out, thinking that was it. But Bolin whipped around midair, kicking the disc and sticking the landing. I was too shocked to even cheer once the game was called. That was phenomenal. He was amazing.

I cleared my throat. Oh _no_.

I snuck off of the viewing platform before the Boar-q-pines arrived, instead leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the locker room.

Should I go congratulate the Fire Ferrets? Or apologize? I guess I couldn’t very well congratulate them without at least saying a polite “I’m sorry” to Korra. But the thing was, I wasn’t sorry. I knew what I said was true – the evidence was in the ring. And furthermore, if I went and congratulated them without saying sorry… anything that I did around Bolin would be hyper-analyzed by Korra. If I avoided him? I liked him. If I smiled and told him good luck, I liked him. Not to mention that after that performance I didn’t even know how I would react to seeing Bolin.

I flitted around in the hallways outside the gym long enough trying to come up with a solution that by the time I decided to stop being a coward and just stop by their lockers anyway, that no one was there when I arrived. I sighed, kicking a stray pebble from an earth disc. Maybe next match, I thought, as I headed out of the arena, back home for a well needed rest.

At least, that was the plan. I took three steps outside the arena, and before I could react, someone slammed into me hard. I gasped, willing the exhale to relax my muscles as I tumbled into the ornamental grass outside the arena, my assailant landing on top of me and knocking even more wind out of me.

I opened my mouth to ask this asshole what his problem was, but before I could get a single word out of my mouth, my assailant leaned back on his elbows, sobbing the whole time.

“I’m s-so so-so-sorry,” Bolin wailed. My expression morphed from anger to shock as he continued to sob, lifting himself off of me. His eyes were so filled with tears that I doubted he could even see who I was. “I-I’m just ha-having a re-really rough-ough ti-i-ime,” he gurgled, and that sent him into hysterics, covering both his eyes as tried to wipe up the waterworks. Even Pabu, who sat on his shoulders, looked upset at the state of him. I had never seen Bolin like this before – he was an absolute mess.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said, sitting myself up and patting his shoulder. Pabu took this as an opportunity for escape, and scrambled up my arm, resting on my shoulders. Bolin look at me confused, wiping his eyes until he could see me.

“Taro? Taro-o-o!” he cried, throwing himself at me in a wet hug. I grimaced, trying to hold him as far away from me as I could so I wouldn’t get tears and snot all over my shirt. My success was dubious.

“Taro, you-ou wouldn’t betray me-e, right?” Bolin asked, sniffling, all hopeful and watery when he pulled back to look at me with a smile. I grimaced. That was a loaded question, considering Bolin’s current state, but at least I could answer honestly.

“Of course not,” I replied, a hint of offense in my voice. Bolin sobbed again, wrapping me in for another, tighter hug, and I winced as his wet cheek hit mine. Pabu chittered in annoyance as Bolin almost knocked him from my shoulder.

“Will you co-come get sa-sad noodles with me?” he asked, pulling away, his bottom lip quivering. I stood rigid in his arms, still stiff from trying not get covered in tears, having failed my quest. Should I get noodles with him? That sounded like a bad idea, in his condition. But if I said no, I knew he would just march off by himself and do it anyway. I sighed.

“Alright, alright, let’s go get sad noodles,” I wrapped an arm around his shoulders to help steer him away from the arena and into the city, and also to make sure that he didn’t trip and stumble into a ditch somewhere. I didn’t exactly know what “sad noodles” entailed, but I knew I couldn’t leave Bolin alone. It was alright, I could just entertain him for a little while, help him calm down, and once he stopped crying I could give Mako a ring and leave him in his brother’s much more capable hands.

I led him to the water tribe district, firstly because it was where I lived and I was most comfortable there, and secondly because they definitely had the best noodles in the city. As we walked, dodging late-night citygoers and receiving dirty looks left and right, Bolin at least managed to calm down enough to string together more than one sentence at a time.

“-And I brought her flowers, because she’s pretty, and girls like flowers! Korra would like flowers, and she- she-“ Bolin sniffled again, took a second to regain his composure, and continued. “she kissed him! She kissed Mako, and he – he was a _traitor_ , he kissed her back – why would he kiss her ba-ah-ah-ack!” That threw him into another fit, and I had to hoist under his shoulder this time, wrap an arm around his barrel-chest and lift with all my might. Pabu tittered at me as the available real estate shrank considerably.

I tugged Bolin into the first noodle place I saw – it was that one Bolin had mentioned liking before, actually, and once he saw it, he started crying harder.

“What? What’s wrong now?” I asked, nearing the end of my rope as Pabu chattered all irritated at Bolin.

“This is where we went on our first date! My favorite- my favorite food place!” Bolin threw himself across a table, and I exchanged a glance with the waiter. I waved a hand at him in apology and lifted Bolin off the table.

“I thought this was your third or maybe even fourth favorite food place,” I deadpanned. Bolin sobbed even more.

“Yeah, it is, and I liiiieeeed! I lied so she would like me-e-e!” Bolin flopped into the chair I toed under him, and I cringed. Dear spirits, I hadn’t expected to babysit a heartbroken earthbender tonight, but here I was, and there Bolin sat. I shook my head. I needed something to eat.

“Hey. Two bowls of noodles, please,” I flashed a little extra cash for their trouble, and soon I was sitting across from Bolin, steaming bowls of noodles in front of each of us, Pabu skittering around, begging for scraps.

“You know, you really shouldn’t lie to get girls to like you,” I stated, then flinched. Oh, great idea, Taro. Make him feel _worse_ about himself.

“I know,” Bolin sniffled, slurping his noodles loudly before sobbing again. “It’s just – I’m not exactly _Mako_ ,” Bolin waved his fingers around, hiccupped, then returned to his noodles. I slurped at mine, deep in thought, before replying.

“What do you mean?” I kind of knew what he meant, but… I had always thought Bolin was cocky and overconfident. I thought that he didn’t notice how often girls gravitated towards his brother.

“Oh, you know,” he hiccupped again, waving his hand around. “He’s got the fancy hair that poofs in the front, instead of the back,” Bolin gestured to his own, fluffing the back of his head to exaggerate it, “and he’s all cool, and aloof, and when a girl likes him he goes-“ Bolin tried to wipe his face of any and all emotion, but it was a little difficult with his puffy red eyes and tearstained cheeks. He lowered his voice to imitate his brother- “Ahem. ‘Whatever.’” Bolin pretended to flip a scarf over his shoulder and I couldn’t help it – I laughed.

“Yeah, and?” I asked, still trying to stop laughing. Bolin looked at me like I was crazy.

“And? And everybody likes him! He’s got the whole cool guy thing going, and he can make this crazy lightning, and he’s the team leader, and I’m just. Little bro Bolin, who gets a pat on the head and a pity date,” Bolin kicked the leg of the table and I frowned. Bolin always seemed to full of himself, so confident. Was it really just a front because he felt overlooked?

“You don’t have to be cool, or a crazy bender, or something stupid like that in order for someone to like you,” I chided softly, a half smile on my lips. “It’s like making friends, you just need to be yourself.”

“Be myself?” Bolin scoffed at it, resting his chin on the table next to his half eaten bowl of noodles. Pabu swooped in to steal the rest of the food, and I swatted at him half-heartedly. “What’s so good about me.”

“There’s a lot of good things about you, Bolin. Here, let’s see,” I squashed down my pessimistic nature. What was good about Bolin? Whenever I thought about him before, it was always how stupid he was, how cocky. But as I looked at him, dejected and so vulnerable, I knew that wasn’t all there was to him. He was cocky because he was overcompensating, because he felt like he was always overshadowed by Mako. And maybe he was stupid and goofy, but it was just because he craved attention. If I really looked at him – he wasn’t a bad guy, not at all. Maybe a little dorky, a little dumb, obviously – but not unworthy of attention or love in the slightest.

“You’re as good a bender as any member of the Fire Ferrets,” I started, because that was safe. It was easy for me to talk pro bending strategy, especially right after watching a match.

“Out in that ring tonight – you could have been in a one-on-three for the entire match, and you still would have won. The tiebreaker – I’d never seen earthbending like it, it’s like the earth jumps to meet your bending, like it _wants_ to be bent by you, and the way you _move_ -“

I caught my breath. Bolin was staring at me with wide eyes, like he was seeing me for the first time. I immediately averted my gaze, shoving a serving of noodles into my big, stupid mouth.

“You- you really think that?” Bolin looked up at me with wide eyes, a ghost of a smile. Something in my chest caught, and I bit the inside of my cheek. As uncomfortable as this made me – and I was very uncomfortable, believe me – I couldn’t lie to him. Bolin was upset, and he felt betrayed, and he needed this. I squared my jaw, and nodded firm.

Bolin’s eyes lit up, and for a moment he looked away, as if contemplating the new information. But as soon as his mood lightened, a storm cloud washed over him once more, and his face fell.

“But being a great bender isn’t enough, is it? It’s not enough to make Korra like me, or anyone else,” He spoke it as fact, and I shrugged, nodding.

“That’s true, but you’re a lot more than just a good bender.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. I’m stupid, I can’t even tell when a girl doesn’t like me – most of the girls that like me just want to pet Pabu!” Bolin gestured to the fire ferret, and Pabu stared up at me with wide eyes. Bolin shook his head, groaning at his misfortune before smashing his face into the table. I winced. That was… kind of hard to counter. I rubbed my chin with my thumb.

OK, so Bolin was a good bender. What else was good about him? When I was standing in the crowd at that equalist rally, what was I thinking about when I thought of Bolin?

“That’s not true,” I started, my words slow and deliberate. “You’re really funny. You’re always good-natured, even when I say something really nasty to you. You’re open about your emotions – even if you do lie about how much you like noodles,” I countered. Bolin listened, chin still pressed to the table.

“And that’s really important, the emotional thing. A lot of guys I knew back home, they would never tell anyone how they felt. They just bottled it up and acted like everybody should already know what they did wrong, and should magically know how to fix it. But you’re not afraid to admit when something upsets you, or when you’re scared, or sad.”

I paused for a breath, purposefully looking at Pabu and not Bolin, because I don’t think I could take looking him in the eye and complimenting him at the same time.

“You’re also really, genuinely kind. Like, look at Pabu“ I pet Pabu and he chittered at me. I smiled soft at him and scratched under his chin. “-You loved him. You still took care of him and fed him, even if it would have been easier not to.”

“You’re a good sport. When you win, you’re a gentleman about it, and when you lose, you do it with dignity. You’re brave – didn’t run when Amon was facing you down – you held your ground! You’re levelheaded, you showed that just this match – and you’re smart! I mean, maybe it’s not the traditional sense, but you pay attention to people. You knew that Mako was out of sorts and told him you’d take the tiebreaker because of it. You knew that Korra would like this place because she was water tribe, right? And that’s not just smart – it’s also kind, and very sweet.”

I sighed, and brought my chin to rest on the table across from Bolin. I almost didn’t want to look at him, but when I did, he was smiling at me – not that megawatt thing he threw around at the arena, or the sly one he would bring out when he was trying to impress women. This was small, and gentle, and sincere, and that made my face heat up more than anything.

“You know, it’s kind of funny. Nobody’s ever said anything like that about me, and you were the person I least expected it from,” he chuckled a little, pushing his noodles around his bowl. I scrunched my eyebrows together. I had basically sung his praises, and I got… that?

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I sputtered, trying not to sound offended. Bolin scratched the back of his head, chuckling, nervous.

“Well, before Korra showed up, I thought you hated me,” Bolin shrugged and tossed me an embarrassed smile. “I guess it’s just… different.”

I scoffed. “I never hated you – even before Korra. You were just so easy to make fun of. You always shot right back, and even when you didn’t the faces you made were so funny…” I chuckled, looking down. But my smile quickly faded. He had thought I hated him? All the mirth left my body and I sighed, resting my head in my hands.

“I guess I’m surprised too. That you still hang out with me after I would make fun of you like that. I’m a really crappy friend” I shrugged, stuffing more noodles in my face. Now it was Bolin’s turn to pout.

“Hey, don’t say that!” Bolin replied, sitting up a little straighter. “Anyone would be lucky to hang out with you!”

I laughed again, this time with no humor in it.

“Oh yeah, sure. What do I have to offer anyone? I’m rude, I’m sarcastic, I’m combative and competitive, and I’m not exactly the easiest person to get along with.” I blew a stray hair out of my face and planted my forehead to the wood. Bolin may be feeling better, but this whole thing just made me feel worse. Before Korra, I had never even apologized to Bolin about the way I mercilessly teased him. Before I saw her at the match, I never even tried to get closure with Korra. And Mako – we still hardly talked. How was I supposed to be a good friend – or girlfriend, even! – if I couldn’t even apologize, or tell people how much I cared about them.

“Bolin, name one good thing about me. I’ll wait.” I huffed. He huffed back.

“I’m not telling you any compliments if you’re not going to look at me. Those are the rules.” I puffed air out of my nose and made a face, but I rearranged myself so my chin was flat on the table again, looking up at him. He beamed his smile at me, and I managed a quirk of my lip in return. At least I had cheered him up.

“There we go! First of all-“ Bolin pointed a finger a centimeter in front of my nose, and I crossed my eyes to look at it.

“-You’re a much better pro bender than I am- hey!” He flicked me in the forehead when I opened my mouth to counter him, and I winced. “No backtalk! I give the compliments and you listen!” I frowned. I didn’t give _him_ any stupid rules when I gave him _his_ compliments.

“Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted,” Bolin cleared his throat. “You’re a fantastic pro bender. They didn’t call you the queen of the one-on-three for nothing! I don’t know what gutter you dragged those other two bozos out of, but they were garbage compared to you! Every single time you were in the ring, you looked like you were the only person there that mattered. I was scared of you – and I had a right to be! You took on Mako and I – at the same time! – and we _barely_ won. Even Korra said afterwards that the only reason she was able to take you out was because you trained together for years! You’re a force of nature!”

I had to duck my head for a minute, covering my face with my arm. I knew that bending competence wouldn’t exactly find me a great partner, or make me a good friend – Bolin had admitted it himself – but it wasn’t like people gave me compliments at all, bending-related or otherwise. My face was red hot already, I didn’t know if I could take this right now, especially from Bolin. The night’s game played behind my eyes and I squeezed my arms tighter around my head. Spirits, Bolin had been amazing, and now he was saying _I_ was a force of nature? I felt like my heart was squeezing against my ribs.

“Hey! Eyes up here!”

“No, it’s OK, I’m good on the compliments.”

“I’m not done!” Bolin grabbed my hands and pried my arms away from my face. He slapped them on the table, covering them firmly with his own, looking every bit like a man on a mission. The blush was creeping down my chest now, and I tried desperately to keep my cool.

“Is this entirely necessary-“

“Yes! It is! Now shh!” Bolin didn’t have a hand to hold to his lips, so he ended up hitting Pabu with his spittle. I giggled, more of a nervous reaction than anything else. By all means, that should have stopped my heart pounding, Bolin’s dorky nature – but it only made things worse as I flexed my fingers and met resistance in the form of warm, strong, hands.

“You wanna talk about smart? That’s you! You were the Catgator’s team captain, right?” I nodded, and he continued. “Every single time you played, you did it with confidence. You knew how to strategize, and you knew how to get your teammates in the ring, even if they were kind of jerks and wouldn’t show up for practice. Yeah, word got around.” Bolin shrugged, squeezing my hands in the process, and I tried, desperately, very desperately, not to think about those points of contact between the two of us, how his hands engulfed mine completely.

“But you were amazing at it! And you’re never afraid to speak your mind, and I really admire you for that. You’re honest, and you’re so, so funny! I mean, when you tease someone and it’s not me, I really get a kick out of it. Especially Mako,” Bolin chuckled, and I let out a breathy laugh too, because this was really just… a lot. I felt like my heart was going to give out if he said much more, and I opened my mouth to say “thank you, yeah, that’s nice, you can stop now,” but as soon as I did do, he banged our joined hands on the table and shook his head.

“I said no talking, woman! I’ll be done when I’m done!”

“Spirits, fine!” I yelled. Bolin huffed and squeezed my hands again, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself under control. I felt like a boiler ready to burst.

“And don’t forget that you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met – and not just in bending, I mean mentally too. You’re so _brave_ , Taro. Mako told me everything about that day, the Revelation? He said you were running towards the stage without even thinking, because you wanted to save everyone.”

I blushed, because it was true, but also because he said it with such conviction. I knew the rest of what he said was sincere, and true, but something in the way his voice caught told me this was different, that it was somehow _more_.

“You were going to fight Amon, all on your own! Mako said he had to hold you back when they cut me loose,” Bolin was the one to look away this time, with a blush. My eyes widened, and if I had been a firebender, I was sure I would have burst into flame. “You didn’t even know me. But you and Korra and Mako – you saved me. Korra’s the Avatar, so of course she would help, and Mako’s my brother, but you –“

Bolin wrapped his hands around mine and lifted them from the table - his fingers pressed against my palms, his thumbs brushing over the backs of my hands. I had to suppress a shiver at the feel of it.

“You’re brave. And kind. And – and I know it doesn’t matter,” Bolin was blushing like mad now, avoiding my gaze completely. “But you’re really pretty too. I-I mean! At that gala, you were – I-I know your dress was uncomfortable but you – you’re pretty other times too-?” Bolin waved his hands around as he tried to backtrack, but he was still holding mine, so I found myself forced to flail my arms in time with him. I did my best to try not to laugh, but by the time he sighed and stopped trying, I was grinning like a dork.

“I’m – I’m stupid, OK? I’m done now,” Bolin admitted, defeated. I smirked at him.

“Can I have my hands back?

“Oh-!” Bolin dropped my hands like they were hot coals, and as soon as his eyes met mine, I burst into laughter. He looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then his face softened and his shoulders relaxed as he laughed with me.

“Thank you, for that,” I said, pushing a stray hair behind my ear. My face still hadn’t returned to its normal shade, but that was alright. Bolin was still twiddling his thumbs, trying to act like he wasn’t embarrassed either.

“Oh, you… too?” Bolin raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was the right reply. I snorted. He was so stupid. It was… kind of endearing.

While the noodle shop had been pretty empty when Bolin and I had entered, the waiter who had served us was starting to draw the blinds while giving us dirty looks. I sighed, shaking my head before standing, leaving a tip for our poor waiter who had to deal with our sorry asses after closing.

“Hey, come on. I’ll take you home. You too, Pabu,” I added, and the fire ferret looked at me with his big, round eyes as I stared at his big, round belly. We never should have let Pabu have the leftovers.

Bolin bit his lip, shaking his head.

“Nah, I don’t really want to deal with _Mako_ ,” he wiggled his fingers again, his shoulders slumping. I frowned, and took a moment to consider. I really wanted him to work things out with his brother – they had a really important game tomorrow. But Bolin seemed a lot better than he had earlier tonight. He could easily confront Mako now if he wanted to, but I understood why he might want to wait. Maybe spending a night away from his brother would be good for him. My stomach did a flip at the thought of bringing him back to my apartment, but I wasn’t going to let him spend the night alone. Even if he was better, he was still Bolin. And as much as I hated to admit it, the whole “Bolin captured by equalists and almost stripped of his bending” thing was still fresh in my mind.

“Then how about coming back to my place?”


	8. The Spirit of Competition - A Healing Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro offers Bolin lodging for the night, and the next day, the Fire Ferrets take on the Buzzard Wasps. With all of their friendships being tested, will the foursome be able to heal their frayed bonds?

“It’s not much,” I hesitated, before finally pushing the door to my apartment open. Who was I kidding. Bolin had already seen the leaking pipes as we transversed the stairs, had already spotted all the stains on the hallway floor. He knew this wasn’t going to be a palace.

“That’s OK! I slept in back alleys for most of my life, so a roof, is like, whoa! Living it up!” Bolin chuckled, following me in. He took his shoes off by the door like I did, and I shot him a look as I hung up my coat on a hook that just barely stayed attached to the wall.

“What?” I raised an eyebrow. I knew that Bolin and Mako didn’t have much, what with living in the arena and all, but I didn’t know they had ever been homeless.

“Yeah. Our parents died when we were little. I was six, Mako was eight,” Bolin shrugged like it was no big deal as he set Pabu down on the floor. Poor thing was so bloated he could barely move. I frowned, concerned at Bolin’s casual statements.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I replied, tugging at my sleeve. It was awkward, comforting people. I didn’t consider myself very good at it, and it always made me feel out of place.

Bolin shook his head. “No, it’s OK. I didn’t really know them that well – I can hardly remember them actually. For as long as I can remember, it was just me and Mako,” Bolin shrugged again, and I could tell he needed a moment to talk about it. I smiled gentle, grabbed his wrist and led him to the two rickety wooden boxes on the floor that served as chairs, the large cable spool in the middle serving as a low table. As he sat, Bolin smiled sadly, reminiscing.

“Mako was more than just my older brother. He was the only family I ever had. We never had much - we were just kids. But he tried to keep me out of trouble. It was hard, back then. I can’t imagine how hard it was for him,” Bolin tugged at the fabric of his pants, and I shrugged, pressing my palms together.

“I don’t know exactly how you feel – but I had a small family too, when I was younger.” I picked at my cuticles, not meeting his eyes. I never told anyone about this sort of thing – the only person who knew was Korra, and even then, I don’t think she really understood.

“My mom had me when she was really young. She wasn’t married – I never knew who my father was. She always thought he would come back, always hoped for it, I guess. I was mostly raised by my grandmother. It was hard, growing up like that. I dunno, I guess I’m trying to say… you were lucky to have a brother who loved you so much,” I shrugged. I didn’t know if that was the right thing to say, but when my gaze swept over him again, he was smiling down at his hands, tapping his thumbs together.

“Yeah, I guess I was,” there was an airy thoughtfulness to his voice, and we both drifted into silence.

It was serene, for a while, just sitting together. But after a few quiet moments, the awkwardness swept over me like a cool fog, as my mind drifted away from the conversation. My apartment wasn’t the most inviting for guests – and not just because it was dingy and falling apart. I didn’t have much in the way of disposable income – spirits, Bolin and I were currently sitting on old fruit boxes I had dug out of a dumpster, resting our hands on a discarded cable spool I had nabbed after the city ran new electrical lines to a building across the street. Besides those sorry excuses for furniture, there wasn’t much else to the place. Cabinets in the kitchen, a stove and an old icebox. A wardrobe next to my bed at the other end of the room with a broken hinge.

My bed was the only thing I was proud of. When I bought the apartment, I sank the rest of my savings into that one, full sized bed. The fact that it was a full was what made it a real treat – I had an unfortunate habit of rolling around in my sleep, and the larger bed kept me from accidentally falling off it. This was wonderful for me, but for guests…

I bit my lip as I looked at Bolin. I had no couch. He certainly couldn’t sleep on the boxes we were currently sitting on. And the floor was disgusting – I wouldn’t even consider it. There was really no other option.

“Well, we better get to sleep,” I broke the silence, standing up and stretching. I had to keep it casual. It’s not a big deal. I used to have sleepovers with Korra all the time when I was little. It’s the same thing. Pabu chittered at me as I stood up, scampering straight to the bed and burrowing between my two worn out pillows. I tried not to wince at the sight of the bed. “The Fire Ferrets have a big match tomorrow.”

Bolin huffed, and the little curl that always rested on his forehead flopped with the movement. “Ugh. Not looking forward to it,” he groaned, leaning back against the wall as his eyes finally swept over the apartment. He frowned, giving it another once-over, before fixing me with his gaze, a single eyebrow raised.

“Uh, you wouldn’t happen to have a couch…?”

“Nope. You brought this on yourself,” I crossed my arms, willing myself to not blush. It was fine! Friends! Sleepovers! Normal! Bolin sighed, dejected.

“Hello floor, my old friend…”

I rolled my eyes at him and punched him in the shoulder.

“No, you idiot, I’m not making you sleep on the floor. Here-“

I hopped to the wardrobe that served as my closet and brandished an old, moth-eaten blanket. With a few quick whips, it transformed into a long roll, and I stripped back the sheet and blanket on my bed to set down the blanket-roll-barrier at the exact center point.

“There. You’ll sleep on that side-“ I pointed to the side closest to the floor, “-and I’ll sleep on this side.” I gestured to the side pressed against the wall. “And neither of us will cross the blanket barrier. It’s like the great wall of Ba Sing Se.”

Bolin raised an eyebrow at me. “Really? You don’t… mind?”

I scoffed at him, crossing my arms and trying to look offended. We were friends! It was fine! We had already shared our family trauma! And I was _not_ going to have Bolin sleep on the nasty, hard ground when he had a big day tomorrow and would need to be in peak bending shape. No sir.

“It’s fine! I’m fine!” I replied, rummaging through the wardrobe for some clothes that were comfortable to sleep in. I found some cotton pants I had snatched from the dying facility and an old, dark undershirt. That would have to do.

“Now, get ready for bed. It’s already way too late,” I nagged. I pointedly did not look at Bolin as I marched to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Spirits. What had I gotten myself into?

I changed clothes as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to allow myself any more time to consider what I was going to have to do. I didn’t want to dwell on the phantom feeling of his hands on mine, since just the thought sent a swarm of butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I didn’t want to think of Bolin that way! He was – he was _Bolin_! He was goofy and stupid and a ridiculous show off-

And his hands were warm and big and his smile was the sweetest thing I had ever seen, and I still couldn’t get the images of his bending out of my head –

I bonked my head against the cleanest wall I could find. Oh spirits, could I do this? I steadied my breathing, shaking my head and pushing myself upright. I created a triangle with my hands, like I had done so many times before, pressing away from my body as I exhaled, willing the nerves out of my body. I let my hands fall to my sides, then slide up, willing my heartrate to decrease, for the blood to stop pounding in my ears. Bolin was a friend, and nothing more. I didn’t know what was going on right now, but whatever it was, I couldn’t let it get between our friendship. He just had his heart broken – and I couldn’t even comprehend my own emotions right now. All I should be doing is providing a friend with a safe place to stay for the night. That was it.

I cracked the door, peeking out.

I shouldn’t have looked.

Bolin was taking off his outer tunic, messing with the front closure before he slipped out of the sleeves. The outer shirt slid off slowly, revealing strong shoulders, a toned back still covered in his undershirt –

Whatever I had done to calm myself was practically thrown out the window as I choked on my own spit, coughing harshly, leaning against the doorframe to catch myself as my body tried to self-combust rather than face the reality that was Bolin.

“Taro? What-are you OK-?” he stepped forward to lend me a hand and I held one out in front of me, a single finger extended, telling him to wait.

“Nope-“ I coughed, catching my breath, “I-I’m good. Fine. I’m fine!” I coughed a little more, but used the distraction to my advantage, lumbering my way to the bed and flopping down onto my side. Pabu chittered a protest as my weight displaced him, scrambling out from under the pillows to air his grievances to my face. That, at least, provided me with a welcome distraction.

“Oh, come on now, Pabu, calm down,” I chided, scratching between his ears. He offered one last squeak of protest before crawling to the end of the bed and curling into a ball at my feet.

I reached to snatch the blankets and pull them up, but Bolin made no move towards the bed. I shot a glance at him. He looked nervous, concerned, his bushy brows scrunched together as he shuffled his feet.

“Are you sure about this? I swear I can sleep on the floor if you-“

“Bolin, shut up and lay down.” I wasn’t letting him sleep on the floor, dammit!

Bolin looked terrified, but he gingerly slid into bed, tucking his legs under the covers as I pulled them up. Pabu rearranged himself, nuzzling against Bolin’s covered legs as he got comfortable.

I was too busy watching Pabu being cute, that I didn’t even notice one crucial detail about my bed before Bolin had entered it.

“What the – “ Bolin wiggled in his spot, and pulled a stuffed polar bear-dog our from under his shoulders. He raised an eyebrow as I blushed hard.

“You-! Oh, give me that!” I snatched it from him, and he quirked a half-smirk.

“You sleep with a plush polar bear-dog?” he chuckled, adjusting himself under the covers. I shot him a glare.

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Mr. bosco bear!”

Bolin’s eyes shot open and he scoffed, throwing a hand to his chest, he was so offended.

“Who told you that?”

Oh shit! Right! I had been snooping! Think fast-

“You, just now!”

It was Bolin’s turn to blush, and I giggled at his embarrassment. He pouted at me.

“Touché,” he grumbled, narrowing his eyes at me as he pulled the blankets up to his chin. I snorted at him, finally snuggling in myself, my plush in arm.

“Well, uh, goodnight?” I stuttered. This was so weird.

Bolin chuckled a little, sighing as he turned away from me.

“Yeah, goodnight.”

X

I woke to the sound of some asshole yelling across the street. I groaned soft. It was early, and the light streamed through my broken blinds, hitting me right in the face. I scrunched my eyes together tighter, willing myself back to sleep. I was tired, and I didn’t need to get up yet. Instead, I snuggled closer against my pillow, the comfort and warmth of my bed.

But. Something was a little different. Pillows didn’t move. My heart flew into my stomach as I opened my eyes a little wider to survey my situation.

Sometime during the night, I had evidently broken through the blanket wall of Ba Sing Se, and my head was not resting on a pillow. Rather, it was resting on Bolin’s chest, which was rising and falling softly under me. I could feel the blanket that was supposed to separate us crushed under my left leg. My right arm sprawled across the rest of his chest, my right leg pressed against his thigh. I froze.

What should I do? Should I move? Would that wake him? Would _not_ moving wake him? Spirits, I was so stupid to think a single blanket would be able to stop Taro, notorious starfish-sleeper.

I wanted to panic, but I found it difficult with Bolin’s soft breathing in my ear, the gentle rise and fall of his chest under my cheek. Compared to his, my own heart was beating so loud and fast inside my ribcage.

I hadn’t been this close to anyone in such a long time. And he was so soft, and warm. He practically radiated heat under my hand, and the rhythm of his heart soothed my nerves in a strange way. Where before I had been terrified, I now found myself wondering if I could steal a few more minutes like this, tangled up with him. It was so peaceful, so easy.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I pressed myself just a fraction closer, savoring every moment. I never imagined a man’s chest to be so soft, so comfortable. My thoughts drifted, and I found myself falling into sleep once more.

Until someone knocked on the door.

Half asleep still, I groaned, waving the hand on Bolin’s chest as if that would make the noise go away. The noise didn’t go away, as another knock rang out in the apartment. And this time, it didn’t just bother me.

Bolin stirred, and I realized it a second too late as he froze under me. I froze on top of him. We stayed like that, petrified, for a fraction of a second, before I came to my senses and physically threw myself out of bed, stumbling as my feet tangled in the blankets. Pabu screeched in protest as his own sleep was disturbed, skittering after me as I righted myself.

“Uh- door!” I called, rather eloquently, as I scrambled for the door to the apartment. Pabu hopped on the counter, then to my shoulders as I tugged on my tunic.

“Would you get down?” I aimed the question at Pabu as I tried to arrange my hair into something that wasn’t a complete snow rat’s nest. Pabu chittered at me, offended, and I rolled my eyes. “Fine, stay there,” I huffed, as the mystery guest continued to bang at my door.

I unlocked my deadbolt, only opening the door a fraction. It was probably my landlord, since it was nearing the end of the month. I wasn’t forbidden from inviting guests overnight or anything, but I still didn’t want her to see a strange man in my apartment and get the wrong idea.

“Ye- _Mako_!?” I squawked. My face turned to flame. Oh good spirits, _no_.

Mako rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Finally. Have you seen Bolin? He didn’t come home last night.”

“I-uh-“ I sputtered. Oh no. Should I lie? _No, I haven’t seen Bolin, no, not at all_. I couldn’t just tell him that his brother was in my _bed_ – even if it wasn’t like _that_ –

Before I could come up with any response, Pabu decided to make himself known, squeaking happily at the sound of Mako’s voice and skittering to my visible shoulder to make himself known.

“Uh. I might have seen him,” I spat out. Mako raised an eyebrow at me, and promptly barged into my room, shoulder checking me as he did so. I sputtered, aghast that he would just barrel into me like that.

“Bolin!” He called, hands on his hips. Bolin already had his tunic on, thank the spirits, leaning against the bathroom door, wearing an expression I had never seen on him. He looked pissed – his mouth set in a hard line, his gaze steely. Mako groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose again.

“It’s time to go home, Bo,” Mako ordered, taking a step towards Bolin. Bolin took a step back, mirroring Mako’s movements.

“Why, because of our match? Why don’t you just get _Korra_ to play for me,” Bolin countered, venom in his voice. Even I winced.

“She _is_ playing. As our _waterbender_. Come on bro, I-“

“Don’t call me that,” Bolin growled, stepping back once more. “You aren’t even going to apologize? You’re just going to show up and act like everything’s alright?”

Mako scrubbed his face with his hand, shaking his head. “We don’t have time for this right now. We can talk about it after the match, but right now I need you. Korra needs you.”

Bolin hung his head, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. I still stood by the door, dumbfounded at all of this. When Bolin lifted his head again, he looked at me sadly, before turning to Mako and sighing.

“Fine. But I’m not forgiving you,” he countered, pointing a finger at Mako. All Mako did was sigh – a long, rattling thing that spoke of years mediating fights, years comforting his brother. I thought I had helped Bolin reconcile with part of this last night, but apparently not, as he trudged out behind Mako, dragging his feet and barely sparing me a passing glance except to say:

“Thanks for letting me stay.”

All I could reply with was “no problem,” in a shaky, bewildered tone, and as quickly as Mako had arrived, they both were gone.

X

This was the least excited I had ever been for a pro bending match. I popped the collar on my tunic just to try and hide my face as I scampered through the hallways.

I was a wreck. I still hadn’t apologized to Korra – and she hadn’t apologized to me. I still had no idea what kind of emotions I was feeling when it came to Bolin – and _Mako_! I ducked further into my tunic. Mako had seen Bolin at my place! I had no idea what he thought he saw, but what if he told Korra? And what if Korra thought I was jealous? What did _Bolin_ even think of me at this point – were we friends? Did he – did he like me too?

I slapped myself in the face as I waited outside the Buzzard Wasps’ locker room for the match to start so I could commandeer their viewing platform. If I had been nervous to see the Fire Ferrets last match, this match, I wasn’t showing my face under penalty of death.

I tried to get my mind off of my wreck of a personal life, but the outlook in the ring wasn’t much better. The Buzzard Wasps were good, and it would take a huge upset for the Fire Ferrets to win. I couldn’t imagine the team working together well today – Korra had reason to feel guilty when it came to both of her teammates, as did Mako. And I highly doubted that Bolin and Mako would have made up by the time the match started. I groaned. This was the end for them, wasn’t it? Hopefully we could all salvage our friendships, at the very least.

The bell for the first round sounded, and I had never been so upset that I was right. The Buzzard Wasps were a well-oiled bending machine, stringing together perfectly choreographed combos, working off of each other beautifully. Meanwhile, the Fire Ferrets struggled just to stay on their feet, much less work together on a team combo. It was every man for themselves, and despite the extensive one-on-three training I had put each one of them through back when I was helping coach Korra, none of them looked like it had stuck.

They fell back, first to zone two, then three. I bit the pad of my thumb as I stared down the clock, willing them to just stay on their feet –

Saved by the bell. I exhaled harshly, shaking my head. This was pathetic. It was actually hard to watch. And it only got worse, as the bell for round two rang, and Mako immediately inflicted friendly fire on his brother. I flinched, cringing away at the bending as well as the deeper implications of that blunder. The round consisted mostly of me desperately screaming for the Fire Ferrets to get their crap together, and my friends falling all over themselves.

Round three. The only thing that would win the match was a knockout. Mako and Bolin sank into their opening stances with little energy, their shoulders low. I knew the stance well – it was the same way that Haku would begin every match – defeated. I groaned. They were right to be upset, to be pessimistic, but I wished they wouldn’t give up hope. Korra looked like the only member who had any fight left in her.

Mako was hit left and right, and Bolin was bombarded so heavily that he fell back to zone two almost instantly, followed quickly by his brother. I wasn’t shocked, judging by their attitudes at the start of the round, but it still hurt to see in real time.

But the bad luck didn’t stop there. Bolin barely had time to adjust to his new position before their earthbender fired a barrage at him, one of the discs turning midair. I saw it crack into his shoulder, but more than that, his scream echoed in the din of the arena.

“ _No_!” I shouted. Spirits, that looked like it hurt, and right after Mako flew into the drink, leaving only Bolin and Korra to win the match.

“Bolin, bail! Bail!” I screamed. No match was worth his shoulder, and by the way he was holding himself, it looked badly hurt. But he didn’t stop. It would have been impressive if I hadn’t been so worried, the fact that he was still standing, still bending. Spirits, he really was a force of nature. But he was giving me heart palpitations – I couldn’t watch this. I needed to be there – to tell Mako to pull his idiot brother out of the ring, to heal Bolin when he eventually took a dive – I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. All I did know was that before I could stop myself I was sprinting into the hallway, the announcer ringing through the halls as I booked it to the opposite end of the arena. To the Fire Ferret’s viewing platform.

I ran as fast as I could, and when I emerged on the other side, Bolin was nowhere to be seen. I leaned over the platform, and there he was, paddling towards Mako, who was waiting in the elevator. I sighed in relief – at least he had gotten out of there before he had been injured even worse.

But even with Bolin safe, that meant that Korra was their only hope. I slumped against the railing. I didn’t even want to look. She was the only one left, and –

And when I looked up, she was ducking and weaving, in a low stance as she searched for her opportunity, and I gasped.

She was owning a one-on-three.

X

“Why do we even need to practice this. It’s not like one-on-three’s are common,” Mako grumbled as I directed the Fire Ferrets into position. I scoffed at him.

“They may not happen often, but that’s one of the reasons why they’re important,” I countered. I stood opposite the Fire Ferrets as they stared me down, elements at the ready.

“And Mako, I would hate to think that you dislike one-on-threes. You’re actually pretty good at them.”

“I am?” he asked, an eyebrow quirked in a rare display of emotion.

“Wait, he is?” Bolin added, his own goofy confused expression painted across his features. I rolled my eyes.

“Of course. A one-on-three is first and foremost, about patience, and Mako has plenty of that. In the second or third rounds, your opponents are going to be tired, and if you wait long enough, if you dodge long enough, you can tire them out,” I smirked. “Now, show me what you got.”

Korra grinned, and the boys shrugged, before they leveled the combo they had worked on earlier that day straight at me. It was easy to dodge because of its predictability, but they still looked impressed, as I continued to talk while I dodged.

“As Korra would say, you need to _be the leaf_ -“ I chuckled, and Korra giggled too. I ducked under an earth disc, and continued. “You dodge everything they throw at you. It’s not cowardly to dodge,” I was panting now, under the strain of the barrage as they grew beyond their combos, freely giving me everything they had. “It’s survival. You wait, and you watch, and when you finally see an opening-“

Mako switched stances, and before he could set his foot down, I shifted my weight, pushing through as I shot a blast of water at him and knocked him clean off his feet. Korra and Bolin stopped bending, shocked at Mako’s sudden demise.

“Usually you don’t have to take down all your opponents during a one-on-three, you just have to wear them out. Take your time, and don’t take chances. They _will_ make a mistake. And you’re all smart enough, and quick enough, that you’ll see it, and then-“ I grinned, falling into a new stance, and pushing forward with both hands. Water flew at Bolin and Korra, who both screamed as they fell to the ground.

I laughed, and they joined in. Even if they would never use it, at least we had fun learning it together.

X

But Korra was using it. She dipped and flowed, watching, waiting. She danced through the barrage, waiting for her moment to strike. She picked out their weak points – a misstep here, a falter in stance there, and gradually she started to push them back. First one, then another, until one Buzzard Wasp occupied each zone. I bit my non-existent fingernails, eyes flitting to the clock. She was doing well – so well, so unbelievably well – but would it be enough?

Then, I saw it. A shift, a step to the side as Korra dodged another fireblast, and then – they were lined up like turtleducks.

“Now!” I screamed, and Korra tore through them, one swift, clean, strong shot, and the water crashed into each of them, knocking every single one of them off their feet and into the water.

“Oh my- yes! _Yes_!” I screamed, barely noticing that Bolin and Mako’s elevator had reached the platform. I was transfixed. They had won? They had won!

I was still staring out at the ring in wonder when I heard Bolin cry out in pain. I whipped my head around, and Mako was grinning, ruffling his brother’s hair as Bolin pouted at him and rubbed at his shoulder. I laughed even louder.

“You’re going to the finals!” I sprinted over to them, giving Mako a big high five that he returned with gusto and a half-grin. But my gaze turned serious when I looked at Bolin.

“Are you alright?”

“Am I alright? I’m better than alright!’ The Fire Ferrets are going to the finals-ah!” Bolin raised his arms to cheer and flinched away as soon as he moved. I rolled my eyes at him, smacking at his good shoulder until he took a seat on the bench.

“Not about the match, you idiot, your shoulder!”

I couldn’t keep up my nagging for much longer, though. Almost as soon as I had Bolin sitting down, his face lit up and he jogged over to see Korra, a huge grin plastered across her face.

“Korra, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Bolin cried, and I smiled, a little sad. My heart did some kind of weird pathetic flip, but it turned anxious as soon as Korra looked at me, her smile faltering for only a second.

“Well, I did learn from the best.”

She scooped me into a big hug, and I didn’t even know how to react. It took me a moment, but I hugged her back, and when she pulled away, she sighed.

“Listen, I’m really sorry about those things I said. You were right – I was being selfish.” Korra hung her head, and I shook my own, smushing her cheeks with my hands.

“Yeah, you’re right about both of those things, but who cares? Did you see yourself? You made those Buzzard Wasps dance! I’m so proud of you!” I squeezed her tight, lifting her well off the floor as I hugged her. It had been a stupid fight anyway. I shouldn’t have been so offended – and I probably wouldn’t have been, if she hadn’t been a little bit right. But she didn’t need to know that, at least not right now.

“You really had our backs out there Korra. Thanks for believing in us,” Mako added, as soon as I released Korra from my hug.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, with a soft, gentle smile. Then, after waiting a beat, she looked from Mako, to me, and chuckled. “I know things were kind of crazy the past couple of days, but… I hope we can still be friends.”

“Definitely,” Mako replied, and he and Korra shared a look that told me maybe they wouldn’t be just friends forever.

That was the perfect, soft and emotional moment for the Wolfbats to enter the platform. I made a face. Spirits, I hated them. Luckily, my team had never had to take them on, but I had heard rumors. Horrible rumors.

I decidedly ignored them, instead herding Bolin back to the bench as soon as they stepped onto the elevator. Asami flounced onto the platform, and I sat down next to Bolin.

“Now, what did you manage to do this time,” I joked, tugging at his sleeve. Bolin looked at me, incredulous.

“What did I do? It wasn’t me, that jerk of an earthbender-“ I giggled, and he noticed, pouting at me. “You were joking, weren’t you.”

“Yep. I definitely was,” I chuckled more, enjoying the familiar banter. But the smile he shot me after I laughed made my heart flip. Oh spirits, get it together, Taro.

“Bolin!” Korra called, joining us on the bench. “Let me help.”

I raised an eyebrow. When I was training with her, Korra had always hated healing, but I shared a look with her, and I immediately understood. This wasn’t about the physical healing, so much as the emotional sense of things. I nodded, moving to Bolin’s other side and pushing a bucket of water closer to Korra.

“Hey, hey wait a minute-“ Bolin pouted, looking from me to Korra. Korra touched his shoulder and he yelped. “Ouch! Haven’t you hurt me enough, woman?”

I snorted despite myself, and Korra laughed too, settling down next to him.

“Relax, I’m a healer. Taro and I both learned from Katara. You know, the best there is?”

Korra gathered up the water into a tight ball, the liquid already glowing. Bolin shot me a terrified look as he eyed the glowing ball of liquid, scooting closer to me. But I wasn’t letting him get away. I placed a hand on his shoulder, shot him a sarcastic smile, and held firm.

“No no no no-!” Bolin shook his head as Korra directed the water to his shoulder, but almost as soon as the water engulfed him, he relaxed completely, leaning into the treatment. “Oh- hey, actually, that’s pretty nice…” he sighed, leaning back. I stifled a snort.

“Bolin…” Korra began, swirling the water rhythmically between her fingers, “I’m so sorry I let things get so out of hand, and I never wanted to hurt your feelings. Are we… gonna be alright?”

Bolin shot Korra that thousand-watt smile, and I felt myself soften. “Yeah, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. But we had fun together, right?”

“Oh, so much fun. Bolin, you really are one of a kind.”

I felt like I shouldn’t really be sitting in on this, but I really was glad that Korra and Bolin had reconciled. The past week had been crazy, and it was so refreshing to see everything start to go back to normal again.

I didn’t have time to consider the awkwardness, because just then, the game bell sounded.

“Your winners, the Wolfbats!”

All of our eyes flew open, our eyebrows shot to our hairlines. “What?” we all shouted in unison, jogging to the edge of the platform.

“There’s no way that was over so fast!” Korra exclaimed. And normally, I would be inclined to agree, but… over the railing, the match looked like a massacre. The opposing team was being carried away on stretchers. I shot a concerned look at Bolin, and he returned my gaze, looking just as scared. What were these people?

With the thought of the Wolfbats and their terrifying win in the back of my mind, I fidgeted constantly as the Fire Ferrets gathered their things and headed home. I was so focused on pacing, I didn’t even notice how slowly Bolin was packing his things, until I heard a pained yelp.

His helmet was on the floor, and Bolin was still clutching at his arm. When he caught eyes with me, he chuckled. “Taught by the best, huh?”

I snorted. “Truth be told, Korra was always more into the fighting side of waterbending.”

“You don’t say – hh!” Bolin winced again as he tried to pick up his helmet. I batted him away from it.

“Will you stop that! Spirits, even if Korra had healed you fully, you can’t just go around straining it the whole time. Here, sit down.” I grabbed the bucket again, feeling the water between my fingers as I readied another healing ball. Korra was an amazing healer, even if I did joke about her preference for fighting. She had just gotten distracted by the Wolfbats before she could finish the job.

“Normal water healing won’t completely fix your shoulder,” I mumbled as Bolin undid the latches of his tunic again. I ignored it. Ignored it! I warmed the water by sloshing it back and forth before passing it through Bolin’s shoulder, and he groaned, his whole body relaxing.

“What do you mean? Can I still play in the finals?” Bolin panicked, and I chanced healing with one hand to flick him in the forehead with the other.

“Stop moving around so much! And no, even with normal water healing, you’d be healed enough to play, but…” I quirked a smirk at him. “I’ve got something a little better.”

I gathered the water and deposited into the bucket. Bolin tried to twitch a smile at me in return, but he just looked concerned.

“And that is…?”

“Well, there’s this form of healing I developed myself. I’ve never used it on anyone else before though,” I admitted, and now Bolin was truly scared. I smiled soft at him. “Do you trust me?”

He took a moment to search my eyes, before replying.

“Absolutely,” he said, not a waver in his voice as he met my eyes.

I tried my very best to ignore how that made my heart flip in my chest, and instead focused on the healing. I had to be calm for this to work at all, and that meant I couldn’t be distracted by whatever dumb feelings I was having.

“Alright, I need you to breathe in time with me, and relax.”

“Aren’t you gonna grab the water and… you know?” Bolin feigned some waterbending at me, and I shook my head.

“I told you, this isn’t normal water healing. Now breathe with me.”

Bolin hesitated, but only for a moment before setting his jaw and trying to relax his shoulders. I set my hands gingerly on his injured shoulder, breathing loud and obvious so that he could follow my pace. He did, falling into a slow pattern with me, and as our breathing matched up, I moved my hands gingerly over his shoulder. It was more of a sprain than anything, as I felt it closely, with a large bruise surrounding it.

“This is going to feel weird. Don’t stop breathing with me.” I closed my eyes, concentrating on the wound. I pushed and pulled, concentrating hard. I had never even healed something this complicated on myself – usually it was just bruises and inflammation. But wasn’t a sprain just one step higher than that, anyway?

Bolin’s breath caught as I slid my hands across his shoulder. This had to feel so weird, for someone who had never experienced it before, but I wanted to help him. I wanted to be… a good friend.

I exhaled one last time, removing my hands from his shoulder. When I did, the bruising was gone.

“Try it out,” I offered, gesturing to his arm. Bolin blinked at me, and gingerly rotated his shoulder – until he felt the difference and put more effort into the movement, his mouth falling open.

“That-that’s amazing! How did you even do that?”

I blushed, scratching the back of my head. “I don’t know, exactly. I’ve always been able to heal myself like that. This was my first time trying it out on another person, especially on something that serious.”

“Well, it looks like you’re gonna give Katara a run for her money, with healing like this!” Bolin grinned wide, posing with his newly healed shoulder. I tried not to spend too much time looking at how his tunic draped over him, how his right arm flexed as he posed. Spirits, I needed a slap in the face.

“Alright, now don’t get ahead of yourself. You still need to rest for a few days. Go light in practice tomorrow, save it for the match,” I pointed a finger at him, and he pouted. I made my way to the door, but before I could leave, Bolin called out.

“Hey Taro!”

I peeked back inside, to see Bolin securing the latches of his tunic, a gentle grin on his features, that same sincere one he had given me the night before.

“Thanks.”

I felt my cheeks heat. It looked like I could use some special healing myself.

“Don’t mention it – oh, and no weight lifting!” I pointed at him, narrowing my eyes. He only laughed, and I left wearing a dopey grin. Maybe things were looking up after all.


	9. And the Winner Is... - A Cheating Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro helps the Fire Ferrets prepare for the pro bending finals, opening up to Korra in the process, and the Fire Ferrets face the Wolfbats.

The Fire Ferrets had the gym for the whole day before the finals, and they had told me beforehand that they were using it to the fullest, starting early in the morning and practicing until right before their match. I couldn’t make it for the whole stretch of time, what with my morning shift, but I was there by two.

I burst through the door, a huge smile plastered on my face, snacks in hand. I opened my mouth, ready to greet my friends, but the gym was strangely empty. I frowned, then caught sight of Korra in the corner, taking a swig from her water bottle, and my smile returned.

“Korra, hey! Where’s Mako and Bolin? I brought snacks,” I shook the bag, and Korra shot me a smile of her own as I took a seat beside her.

“Oh, they’re taking a break. I think Bolin said something about giving Pabu a bath?” Korra shrugged, tugging at the bag of snacks. I slid it over, and she snagged some fire flakes, crunching happily.

“I thought you guys were gonna be practicing all day! I came totally prepared to kick all of your asses,” I joked, and Korra rolled her eyes, slumping against the wall.

“We were, until Amon came on the radio, demanding for the tournament to be cancelled,” Korra blew a stray hair out of her face and I gasped.

“What? So you guys aren’t playing?”

“Oh no, we’re playing,” Korra frowned, shaking her head. “But Mako, Bolin and I had to ride over to City Hall and argue with the council members until they finally agreed to let us play! Some of the people here have no backbone.” She grumbled, crunching on a fire flake. I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. “So we haven’t been nose to the grindstone like we wanted to be.”

I shook my head, grabbing a fistful of flakes to down myself.

“That’s horrible. Is that why there were so many cops outside?”

Korra nodded. “Yeah, Chief Beifong was actually the one who convinced the council to let us play. She’s gonna have metalbenders everywhere. We’re not letting Amon intimidate us anymore,” Korra punched her palm with her fist, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. I was worried, knowing how hard it must have been for her to face Amon at Avatar Aang’s statue.

“That’s good. I’m glad you guys get to play. Maybe redeem yourselves from the last match,” I chuckled, and Korra tried to smile back, but instead it soon fell, replaced with a hard line as she leveled me with a serious look.

“I feel like I didn’t apologize to you enough for that whole mess,” she admitted, but I waved her off.

“It’s OK, I was a little aggressive when I confronted you that day,” I crossed my legs, remembering how Korra had immediately agreed to go on a date with Bolin, despite her showing exactly zero interest in him before that very second. Even if I had been right, I could have gone about it a different way.

“No, you weren’t! You were right. And then I went and yelled at you and accused you of being jealous…” Korra snorted at that, and I raised an eyebrow. “What was I thinking? You, jealous of me? Because of _Bolin_? Oh, that was so mean…”

I blushed, looking away and shoving a fistful of fire flakes in my mouth to avoid Korra’s gaze. Well, a lot had happened since we had that argument – one of those things being a stupid crush on perhaps the dumbest man I had ever met. I was sure it was just a passing thing, just because I wanted a partner. It didn’t have to be a big deal! I would be over it in a couple days, tops.

“Ha, yeah, really mean,” I chuckled, trying to shoot Korra a smile, but I’m sure it looked forced. Korra raised an eyebrow.

“’ _Really mean_?’” she quoted, and I winced.

“So, anyway, about tonight’s match-“

“Taro! Don’t change the subject!” Korra shoved me, giggling, and I practically tipped over. That girl didn’t know her own strength, and I joined in her laughter as I righted myself.

“It’s nothing! Don’t worry about it!” I tried to brush it off, but now Korra was looking at me with wonder.

“No, no, I said something, and now you’re embarrassed. What happened?” Korra leaned forward, and I snorted. I had forgotten how much of a gossip she could be sometimes.

“OK, OK. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, alright? Not even Ikki and Jinora – actually, especially not them, the little blabbermouths…”

“I won’t I won’t!” Korra promised, shaking her head as she looked at me with wonder. “Now spit it out already!”

I swallowed thickly, cracking my knuckles to have something to do with my hands. Did I really want to tell her? I shouldn’t, it’s probably a passing thing… and what if she likes Bolin? I know she said she didn’t, but what if she was just being nice! Or what if she tells Mako… My face went white at that prospect.

“Taro! Come on!” Korra whined, this time shaking me back and forth, my head lolling on my shoulders.

“Alright, alright! I think I have a crush on Bolin!” I cried, then immediately covered my mouth with my hands. Korra was so shocked she stopped shaking me but kept her hands where they were, her eyebrows disappearing into her bangs.

“You _do_?” she asked, still clutching at my clothes. I nodded, and she finally released me, looking down and away, blinking like she had no idea what to do with the information. Then she shook her head, apparently coming to her senses and blurting, “that’s great, Taro!”

I winced. “Is it? You didn’t seem too sure about that.”

Korra shook her head, waving him arms, “no, no! I was just – you surprised me! I had no idea- oh man, now that makes me feel even worse about that comment…” Korra bonked herself with the heel of her palm and I shook my head.

“No, I mean – I didn’t even think about liking him until you mentioned that. I always thought he was just kind of goofy, and then you said that, and then he played so well in that match against the Boar-q-pines… it’s probably one of those passing things, anyway, you know? Just because I’m lonely.”

When I looked up, Korra was leveling me with a smile like I had no idea what I was talking about.

“What?”

“Oh nothing, nothing!” Korra held her hands up. “I just think you two would be cute together,” she crossed her arms, shooting me a smug grin. I scoffed, my cheeks warm.

“It’s nothing,” I assured her. “It’ll be over in a day or two. You wait!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Korra snorted, ruffling my hair until I swatted her hand away. “I will.”

X

Practice went by fast, even if Korra was shooting me stupid, annoying glances whenever I was sparring with Bolin or helping him with his form. I almost wished I hadn’t told her – but at the same time, she was my best friend. I could handle some good-natured jabs and giggles. It’s not like I didn’t shoot her a well-timed eyebrow waggle whenever she paired off with Mako.

Soon enough, practice was over, and it was time for the game. I strode onto the platform right as the Fire Ferrets were securing the last of their padding to their uniforms. I grinned, and then I gasped when I saw Pabu, in a tiny Fire Ferrets uniform.

“Pabu!” I called, and the little guy turned to look at me, tilting his head and chittering at me. I squatted down to scratch between his ears and he squeaked happily.

“Hey, don’t distract him! He’s got a big night tonight,” Bolin chided, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh he does, does he?” I turned to Pabu, scratching under his chin until he closed his eyes, making a pleased little ferret noise and leaning into my touch. “Who’s got an important night? Pabu does, yes he does!”

“No! Pabu, you gotta focus!” Bolin cried, and I chuckled at him. What a dork.

“Anyway, speaking of big nights,” I leveled Bolin with a stern look. “How’s your shoulder.”

“Oh, this old thing?” Bolin swung it in a circle, stretching it out. “Feeling great. All ready to go.”

“Good.” I gave Pabu one more scritch before standing up, poking Bolin in the chest. “Now don’t. Hurt. Yourself. Again.” I punctuated each word with a jab of my finger. Bolin scoffed at me.

“Of course I won’t hurt myself, I’m Bolin! I have bones of steel!” He flexed, and Pabu chittered, scampering up Bolin’s leg and onto his shoulder, completely ruining whatever manly façade Bolin was trying to present. I snorted.

“OK, bones of steel,” Korra stepped forward, slapping a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got a match to win.”

“Yeah we do,” Mako smiled, stepping up besides Korra. I beamed at all of them.

“Good luck!” I called, as they stepped onto the elevator and moved towards the ring, the crowd screaming. I smiled, watching them take in their praise. Korra was proud and respectful, offering the crowd a few waves. Mako blew a kiss to Asami, and I chuckled as Korra made a face that even I could see. And Bolin was ever his show-off self, posing for the crowd and waving frantically. He even took the time to turn around and wave at me, and I snorted, offering him a small salute back. What a complete and utter doofus. He was so cute.

The announcer introduced the Fire Ferrets, and Pabu did a few tricks. Even though the crowd wasn’t all that excited, I did my best to make up for it, screaming as loud as I could from the platform to hype Pabu (and by extension, the rest of the team) up.

Then there were the Wolfbats. I scowled as they entered the ring, flinching at the fireworks as they exploded during their opening presentation.

I had heard of the Wolfbats, and although I had never played against them personally, their reputation preceded them. They were ruthless, and devious, going so far as to pay off refs and rig traps for their opponents, not caring if they hurt other players. I had seen them in action before – they were good benders, of course. Tahno was an exceptional waterbender in particular, although I would never admit it. But he was just so cocky – not even in the stupid, somewhat endearing way Bolin was. He thought he was better than everyone just because he was a halfway decent bender, and it boiled my blood. If he was so great, why did he resort to cheap cheating tactics anyway? I hoped that at least for the championship, that the Wolfbats would fight fair, and that the pro bending staff had done their best to hire an impartial ref for the match. I didn’t want my friends to feel down because of an unfair match, and I certainly didn’t want any of them getting hurt again. I bit the inside of my lip as I leaned against the railing, and the bell rang, signaling the start of round one.

I had told them before this match, that the first hurdle to get through was just staying in the ring for the first round. The Wolfbats were known for their swift knockouts, usually in round one, and rarely in round two, so I warned the Fire Ferrets to stay on their toes.

This game was no different. The Wolfbats started out strong, with Tahno clearly going after Korra with all he had. I frowned – he was aggressive, alright. What had Korra done to deserve that kind of treatment? But at least it was fair, even if it did mean Korra fell back to zone two. Mako was next, with a few clean, fast jabs from their earthbender. I gritted my teeth. I had warned them!

At least Bolin had heeded my warning, going after their firebender. He played well, timing a well-placed ricochet off the ropes to knock the bender back to zone two.

“Yes! Go Bolin!” I cried. But even from my vantage point, I could tell by the change in their stances and the placement of their shoulders that the Wolfbats weren’t too pleased by Bolin’s success. When the buzzer sounded again they returned in full force. Tahno focused his waterbending first on Korra, but once he saw how evenly matched they were, his focus shifted, hosing Bolin with a strong steam of water that sent him flying back all the way to zone three.

“Aw, come on!” I screamed, throwing my hands up. The refs didn’t say a work, and I groaned. I thought that maybe, just maybe, the Wolfbats would have enough class to not use dirty tricks during the championship, but apparently I gave them far too much credit. I grit my teeth. Spirits, how I wished I was in the ring right now just so I could knock Tahno’s stupid smirk off his stupid face. I couldn’t see it from this far away, but I knew it was there.

The tricks continued – I knew for a fact that Bolin wouldn’t have bent a disc right out from his brother’s feet, and the earth disc that knocked Mako back a zone was far too well timed. I pulled at my hair in frustration. It was one thing to be annoyed that the team you were rooting for was playing poorly, but this was something else entirely. They had no way to fight against this! They couldn’t give the Wolfbats what was coming to them, because the refs were watching them like eagle hawks. No matter how smart they were, and how good their bending was, it would take a whole lot of luck for the Fire Ferrets to pull off a win.

The Wolfbats were on them again in a heartbeat, and they went after Bolin once more – looks like that first hit really put a target on his back. Tahno and his firebender worked together, icing the floor under Bolin and then blasting him with fire to send him careening into the pool below.

“Ref, you might be blind so I’ll spell it out for you – _that was completely illegal_!” I shrieked. But I didn’t have time to worry about Bolin – Korra and Mako were still fighting for their lives in the ring. One glance to the clock and I could tell they would be hard pressed to make it through still standing. I winced as Korra was pushed back into the third ring, the Wolfbats fighting hard and fast, but clean. All it took was for Mako to come to Korra’s defense, and-

“You idiot!” I screamed, as the Wolfbats knocked them both over the edge. I had just told them that they should never, but any means, be in the same line of fire as a teammate, and what had Mako done?

I was ready to see Korra and Mako splash hard into the drink, but-

“ _Korra_!?” I cried. She had gripped onto the edge of the ring! I had been trying to figure out how to do that for months!

Even for someone as strong as Korra, I could see her straining as she swung her arm back and forth, until she finally flung Mako back into the ring. I screamed. They could do it – if anyone could stay standing in a one-on-three against these clowns, it was Mako.

The crowd, and the opposing team, were still under the impression that the last play had been a knockout – they didn’t have the same vantage point that I did. I grinned from ear to ear as Mako slammed Tahno will a well placed kick, launching the waterbender into the zone behind him.

“Yes, Mako! Kick his ass!” I screamed. Maybe they could still win. Korra learned as she played, Mako was cool under pressure, and Bolin had incredible stamina in the ring. They could do it! They might be able to win!

The bell for round two sounded, and I bit at the meat of my thumb to keep quiet. I was so nervous for them!

Round two was a blur. The Fire Ferrets were in it now, matching the pace of their opponents, and throwing all they had at them. They were good, but the Wolfbats were still cheating – I caught the headshots mostly, but I could have sworn Tahno was using illegal icing moves as well. I grit my teeth as the bell tolled again – a tie.

Korra volunteered, and my brows shot up. She usually wasn’t their pick for a tiebreaker – it was almost always Mako. But I grinned. I knew why she was set for the tiebreaker. Those three wanted to see Tahno knocked on his ass just as much as I did.

The two circled each other, neither willing to make the first move. That was, until Tahno taunted Korra. Then, the round was over with a quick one-two combo, Korra first distracting him with a jab, then finishing him off with a well placed kick-stream. Tahno’s helmet flew straight off his head, and I screamed in joy.

The start of the third round had both teams evenly matched. The Fire Ferrets were stepping up hard and fast, giving it everything they had, but the Wolfbats weren’t backing down either. In fact, they stepped up their game – including their cheating. I leaned over the railing, trying to catch what they were doing when their earthbender stood stock still – but then, Tahno was bending water at each of the Fire Ferrets, knocking first Mako, then Bolin, then Korra into the water below. My mouth fell open. Was there – there were rocks in that water! There had to be!

“No! What the- you can’t be serious!?” I screamed, slamming my fists down against the rails. I was furious! Who could let something like that happen! It looked like it hurt too – was everyone alright?

My anger quieted into a silent sadness after a moment of glaring at the Wolfbats. This was horrible – they were only in this for the fame, for the acknowledgement and money. I wasn’t going to act like the Fire Ferrets weren’t also in it for the cash, but at least they had heart, and honestly loved the game. And they had been bested by those – those _assholes_!

I turned from the ring, shaking my head. It was ridiculous. This should have never happened.

I sighed, stepping towards the bench to sit down and calm myself. I would have to try to quell my disappointment. The team needed me, and I couldn’t be negative after they just lost such a tremendous game.

As I shuffled to the bench, movement caught the corner of my eye. Weary from watching the game, I was slow to react, blinking and raising my head, as if slow motion, until realization dawned.

It was an equalist. More specifically, an equalist with an electric glove, the sparks flying off it as they sprinted towards me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the awkward ending! And the Winner Is... used to be one huge chapter, but I decided to split it up last minute, since it was the only episode without two chapters. the second part will be up on tuesday!


	10. And the Winner Is... - A Blaze of Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the equalists attack the pro bending arena, Taro has a choice to make: stand by while Amon takes the the Wolfbats' bending, or push past her fear and face him alone.

I only had a split second to react, reeling back as the equalist swung, until my hands hit the ground and I pressed upwards, leveling the equalist with a well-placed kick to the chin as I sprung out of their grasp. The whole arena was ripe with screams now, and I was on high alert. Water, I needed water –

Just as the equalist gained their composure again, I spotted the bucket that the players used to wipe off and heal up after the game. As the equalist swung at me again, I slipped into a low stance, drawing the water towards me and evading them, slipping around to their back as they righted themselves and leveled me with another swing of their gloved hand.

This time, I was ready. With a battle cry, I bent the water at them, covering their whole arm as the glove fired. The equalist cried out in pain, convulsing as they were shocked by their own weapon, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

I caught my breath, my chest heaving with the adrenaline of the fight. What was that – what was going on?

I rushed to the platform, remembering what Korra had said before. Amon had made an announcement about cancelling the finals – and my blood turned cold as I looked out at the ring, realizing that he had made good on his promise.

He was there, in the center of the ring, flanked by equalists, his mask just as empty and jarring as it had been the last time I saw it. Even though I was standing at the platform and he was far, far away, the dread pooled in my stomach, the sense of wrongness, like his mere presence was rotting me from the inside. I grit my teeth.

He faced the Wolfbats, striding forward with purpose, his equalists following behind him. My eyes widened as it dawned on me – Amon was going to take their bending. The Wolfbats weren’t like the gangsters he had previously “equalized” – these pro benders would be a statement for his cause, a different kind of example. I felt sick. Yes, the Wolfbats were cheaters, and they were rude, and nasty, but they didn’t deserve this – no one deserved to be stripped of their identity, their ability, especially not for a selfish political statement.

Amon neared them, practically gliding across the ring. There were so many thoughts racing in my mind – where were the police? Had the equalists really taken them all out? What about Korra – was she hurt? The panic felt like ice in my veins, paralyzing me, compounding upon the sea of dread, as I stared across the stands, dead-eyed. All these people in the stands were watching, terrified, as Amon closed the distance. And there was no Korra enacting some heroic plan, no Mako beside me to offer reassurance. It was only me, and Amon, and the piercing wall of fear that separated us.

The Wolfbats moved to fight – to show Amon that they were worthy of keeping their bending, but before they could, the equalists surged forwards, firing nets at the pro benders’ legs, their arms – binding them until they were helpless on the floor, and through the fear, through the dread and the panic, that shot through me like a bolt.

At the Revelation, Amon had given the benders he faced a fighting chance. He had fought them, and even though he had won, every time, there was some honor in that – in a duel, in a desperate struggle for victory. But this was pathetic, it was disgraceful – it was cheating, just like the Wolfbats had cheated in their game. And through the fear, rage blossomed, boiling my blood. Something in me snapped, and I snarled. I didn’t care that I was alone, or that I was outmatched. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch a coward destroy the lives of three more people.

I spun on my heel, facing away from the ring, pacing towards the exit. As I neared it, I gained speed, using the back wall as a turning point as I swerved, running full tilt at the railing. The wind rang in my ears, like the roar of the crowd during a game, and I jumped, planting my foot firm on the railing as I raised my hands high, snapping at the wrists. As I flew over the rail, a wave rushed to meet me, engulfing my legs. I pushed forward, and the wave crested, spitting me out on the opposite end of the ring. I met the ground hard, cushioning myself with my hand as the water spilled into the ring. I scowled, slicking back a stray piece of hair before I stood, heart pointing, and leveled a shaking finger at Amon.

“Hey, asshole!” I screamed, before I could stop myself. My blood was pounding in my ears, my gut screaming _wrong wrong **wrong**_ , telling me to run as far away from this evil, unearthly man as I could. I pressed the feelings down, breathing out, and dropping into a practiced stance, the water jumping to my command as I entered octopus form. The equalists around me fell into their own fighting stances, but they didn’t concern me – unlike the one in the stands, none of them were equipped with those electric gloves. Octopus form would serve as a shield from their attacks, the water circling close to my center, my arms bent, fingers splayed as I controlled the tendrils. Through the haze of water, Amon’s mask was distorted, a melting façade as he turned to look at me, but not to face me. I snarled, willing the anger to fuel me, to melt the icy fear and turn my blood to fire.

“Why don’t you fight someone who can actually fight back!”

Amon stayed put. Instead, his remaining equalists sprinted towards me, the others restraining the Wolfbats as they fought. Their own masks stared back at me, cold and dead. I rolled my shoulders, leaning my weight on my back foot as I prepared for their assault, my breath hot as they pounced.

They were quick, and they were level-headed, but the form I had chosen offered me steady protection against their close-range chi attacks. I whipped around, my senses heightened from the blood pulsing with adrenaline in my veins, the fear only elevating my form. I moved sharp and quick, my feet planted firm as my arms controlled the tendrils of water.

The first equalist was easy to snag, a sitting turtleduck as they sprinted towards me. They jumped as I swiped under them, my feint working as I used another tendril to throw them over the side of the ring. A second equalist tried to attack me from behind, but my head whipped around, two tendrils smacking into them, as I threw all my force into the attack. The water hit them like a ton of bricks, forcing them back and over the edge of the ring. The last equalist faced me, and I squared myself against them, willing my breathing to stay steady even as my braid spilled over my shoulders, destroyed in the fray. I was prepared to strike, but just as the equalist stepped forward, Amon raised a hand.

“Wait,” he said, calm as ever. I bristled, my shoulders hunching as I reinforced my form, staring down the equalist even as they left their fighting stance, retreating behind Amon.

“You wish to fight me?” Amon’s posture changed, his knees bending slightly as he sank into a ready position. “Well, go right ahead.”

My fear spiked, the adrenaline pounding in my skull. I knew I had to act, and I had to do it fast, before Amon could react. I roared, drawing power from the sound, as I dropped the octopus form, instead drawing back and twisting my hands, forming a long, twisting funnel of water. With a twist of my ankle, my stance hardened and my shoulder shifted, firing first one, then a barrage of ice spikes from the whirlpool, directly at the equalist.

He dodged with no effort – he moved like water itself, weaving between the spikes as if they were nothing, and as my eyes met his for a fraction of a second, only a split instance, I felt something tug at me. It was that same dark, dismal feeling in the pit of my stomach that always invaded my senses whenever Amon was near, but amplified, compounded in a way that made me lose my breath.

My foot slipped, and my stance collapsed, as I lost control of my own body. But I breathed in, fighting against it, and I ducked, only a fraction away from where Amon’s hand would have been. The fear spiked, but I knew now that I was truly fighting for my life – for my bending, and the bending of others as well. I had to win. I grit my teeth, and I pressed upward, punching into the air, leveling a pillar of water at his head.

It wasn’t by much, only by a fraction of an inch, but my aim was off – my stance a bit weaker than usual, my fist not as tightly clenched. I knew exactly where I had aimed, but my bending hadn’t held true. I gasped as Amon surged towards me again, and for a moment I felt frozen. My blood went cold inside me, the fear seeping through my veins like ice as I faced him – eye to eye, man to man.

I breathed heavy out my nose, visualizing my centering stance – form a triangle with my palms, outward press, then draw my hands up my hips to my chest, and breathe – breathe!

I ducked, narrowly avoiding his grasp, his hand grazing the tip of my nose as he grasped at nothing. I gasped, trying to think of my next move –

But before I could, something jabbed me sharp in the shoulder, then the other, and the center of my back. I coughed, falling forward, my arms useless. I screamed, trying to shift my weight to use my legs, but the chi blocker was too fast, wrapping one of their rope traps around my knees until I fell to the ground.

I writhed, blowing the hair out of my face, and Amon knelt to my level.

“You fought well, waterbender,” Amon soothed, his voice calm and icy-cold. I shivered at his proximity, my muscles straining against the chi block, my blood cold at his presence, at the power he held.

“That fight wasn’t fair!” I spat, sneering at him. My rage-filled front was the only thing holding back my fear, my hopelessness, and my grief. If he took my bending – I don’t know who I would be. My bending was the only thing that lifted me up in this world, the only thing that freed me from where I came from, from who my parents were. My bending helped be befriend Korra, and Mako, and Bolin – it gave me pro bending, and a life on my own. Without it, what would I do?

I spat in the face of it, denying reality. Even if I lost it, even if Amon won the day – he would never be able to defeat Korra.

“You’re right,” Amon replied, his response shocking me. “I don’t want a fight with you today. I will spare you, out of respect for your valiance.”

My mouth fell open, and Amon waved, the chi blockers hoisting me up to throw me into the pool.

“No, wait-!” I cried, finally regaining some feeling in my hands. Amon was already walking towards the Wolfbats, Tahno secured between two chi blockers, in position for Amon to remove his bending. I stretched my hand out towards them, trying desperately to get back, to help-

The chi blockers threw me over the side of the ring, into the pool. The water crashed into me, knocking the breath out of me, but I couldn’t spare any time to take in the pain. I forced my arms to move, and made quick work of the binding around my ankles. I surfaced with a gasp, staring at the ring with a fierce determination. Maybe, if I tried hard enough, I could pillar up to the platform just by bending with my feet, I could fight him, I could-

“Taro!” Korra cried. My head snapped towards the voice, and spotted the trio. Korra, Mako, and Bolin were tied to one of the pillars that supported the ring above it. The equalists must have grabbed them as soon as they hit the water after their match. I swam towards them with all my might, and as I neared them I noticed a fourth party – Pabu, nibbling at their bindings. I hauled myself onto the platform, my arms straining, before I found my footing and ran to them.

“Get us out of here!” Mako demanded, struggling against his bindings. He didn’t have to for long though – before I could even tell the trio to move out of the way so I could slice through with a swift kick, Pabu finally cut through the rope with his teeth, and it fell to the ground.

“Yes, great job buddy!” Bolin cheered, but his praise was cut short, as an explosion ripped through the arena, shaking the ring above us. We all looked at each other, eyes dark with fear, before Korra set her jaw and sprinted forward, the pool turning to ice as she slid across it.

“I’m going after Amon! Taro, get them out safely!” Korra cried.

I grit my teeth, with a half a mind to follow her, but – she was right. Bolin and Mako needed to get out of here safely, and I was still recovering from the chi blockers. Korra would be far more useful in a fight against Amon – now it was my job to support my friends. I nodded my head, stiff, as she gazed towards the sky, towards Amon. This was her fight now.

“Be careful!” Mako called, and with that, Korra was pillaring upwards, towards Amon and, hopefully, victory.

I seethed in silence as I corralled Mako, Bolin, and Pabu onto a water pillar and bent them out of the pool. The bending strained against my chi, which was still aching because of the altercation with Amon, but I ignored it.

I felt so – powerless, so helpless. Korra was up there – I saw her, fire flaring as she fought the equalists, as the metalbenders did all they could, ushering civilians outside. I had been there – right there, right in front of Amon, and I couldn’t beat him. It was as if his very presence warped bending, weakening it, sucking some spiritual force out of benders. Like he was a black hole of nonbender energy, consuming whatever power veered too close to him. I clenched my fists, ordering Mako and Bolin to help get these people out of the arena, as the glass overhead cracked with each new burst of flame.

Amon was so much more than just a powerful leader. There had to be something about him – something that _made_ that pit in my gut. I knew now that it wasn’t just my own fear. Something inside of me was reacting violently to whatever power he possessed, whatever gift the spirits gave him. His energy directly clashed against mine, and made my stomach drop, my veins turn to ice. I didn’t know what it was – I might never know – but I wouldn’t be so careless next time I saw him. He had faltered then, in the ring. He had made a misstep, or a miscalculation, when I dodged his grip. Something had changed then, and I could feel it still, in my gut, or in my soul, maybe. If I ever faced him again, I wouldn’t be scared. I would be ready.

Everyone streamed out of the arena, and just as the last waves of civilians spilled out, something cracked, the sound of glass shattering spurring the last groups to push their way out of the venue. I ran towards the sound, hoping for a fight, for Korra to have been victorious –

But it was the exact opposite. Korra fell through the ceiling, only to be caught in a split second by Chief Beifong, depositing her in the stands. I fell into a sprint, catching up with Mako and Bolin as we rounded the corner and barreled into Korra, all of us wrapping her in a big hug.

“I’m so glad you’re OK,” Mako sighed, the relief clear in his voice.

“Me too,” Bolin added, squeezing everyone into a tighter hug. My cheek pressed against Korra’s shoulder, and I shook my head.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. I didn’t know if I was expressing my grief that she and Beifong hadn’t won the battle, or that I hadn’t been able to beat Amon, or even that I hadn’t followed her when she chased after Amon and his supporters. I was just… sorry, sorry that this had all happened in the first place.

“Hey, don’t be,” Korra squeezed me tighter, then looked up at the rest of her friends. “I’m glad you’re all safe too. I can’t believe Amon did this.”

We looked out, across the wreckage of the pro bending arena. The whole place was up in smoke, the glass of the roof shattered, the stands void of any supporters, any fans.

This wasn’t just a lost battle. This was a declaration of war.


	11. The Aftermath - Another Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her battle with Amon, Taro is feeling run down and hopeless. Asami invites her to her father's estate to unwind and work through her guilt.

_Ring-ring! Ring-ring!_

I groaned, throwing myself over the side of my bed to grab for the phone. I hoped to every spirit I knew that it wasn’t my boss – thanks to the attack on the pro bending arena the night before, all operations at the dying facility had been cancelled for the foreseeable future. That was a breath of fresh air for me – I had no idea if I would have been able to work without shaking. It had taken me long enough to fall asleep these past few nights, the events of that evening playing over and over in my head as I contemplated what I could have done differently, what could have happened if Amon had decided not to show me mercy. I hadn’t gotten much sleep, and I was in no shape to work.

“Hello?” I mumbled, groggy, into my phone.

“Hello, is this Taro?” the voice on the other end asked, and I blinked, frowning at my phone.

“Asami?”

“Hi Taro!” Asami greeted, and I rubbed my eyes as I flopped back into bed. How in the name of all that was good did Asami get my number?

“I’m sorry if I bothered you-“ Asami began, “but I was wondering if you would like to come to my father’s estate today. Mako and Bolin have moved in since the arena shut down, and I thought it would be good to have the whole gang together to welcome them.”

I frowned. We were hardly a gang. Korra and I were friends, but our relationship had its ups and down. I couldn’t even tell if Mako liked me, and I had hardly spoken to Asami since the gala. Not to mention whatever was going on with me and Bolin…

“I don’t know, Asami,” I admitted, rolling onto my side and pulling the covers up. “I’m not sure if I’m feeling up to it.”

I hadn’t seen anyone – not even Korra – since the arena had collapsed. I had spent most of the time in my room, fluctuating between full-on, soul-crushing panic attacks, and fury-fueled waterbending training sessions, my muscles aching after I completed my forms. I didn’t even know if any of them fully understood what had happened to me that night – it wasn’t like I had the time to explain. And I couldn’t just head over to Asami’s fancy house and act like everything was peachy keen.

Asami sighed on the other end of the line, and I nuzzled into my pillow, pulling my plush polar bear-dog close.

“I know this must be hard for you,” Asami began, her voice soft. “I saw what you did that night. I saw you face Amon.”

My eyes widened. I had completely forgotten – the Satos had a private viewing box in the arena. She had been there that night with her father, and she had a ringside view of the whole thing. I pulled my blankets over my head.

“That must have taken so much courage,” she continued, with conviction in her voice that carried, even through the crappy connection in my old, rundown apartment. “You were so strong, Taro. I can’t imagine facing someone like that. And you did it with no fear.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing the tears to not spill onto my cheek. I didn’t feel strong – I felt pathetic. I felt like a failure.

“I know you probably wish you could have done more, but you fought with everything you had – and you brought Mako back safely.” I could hear the break in her voice at that, at how much she truly wanted to thank me for it, and I shook. How could she feel as if I had done something great, when I had still failed miserably?

“I want to thank you, for helping him and Bolin see another day. And I would like to do it in person, if you’ll let me,” she continued, and I shook my head. I didn’t deserve that. I shouldn’t be going out, to fancy houses, to see people I was barely able to protect. I should be training, taking every moment I could to ready myself for the next fight against Amon.

“I-“ I started to speak, to deny her request, but Asami cut me off.

“Please, Taro,” she implored me, and I sighed. Asami had been there – she had seen firsthand what had happened. And, while maybe I didn’t feel like much of a hero, maybe I could talk to her about it. Maybe seeing things through her eyes could help me, help me understand what I did wrong, figure out what Amon’s weaknesses are, maybe. Or just feel like what I did was real, and impactful.

“Alright,” I agreed, sinking into my bed. I felt as if the conversation had drained all my energy out of me, and it had only taken a few minutes.

“Great! I’ll be over in a half an hour to pick you up!”

X

The Sato estate was massive. I strained my neck just trying to get the whole house in view as Asami led me up the steps.

“I’m so glad you came – I invited Korra too, and I hope she’ll stop by as well,” Asami added, directing me into the foyer, where I whistled low.

“Asami, this place is massive,” I felt incredibly self-conscious. My own apartment looked like a piece of garbage normally, but compared to this place, it may as well be the inside of a particularly disgusting dumpster.

“Hey, Taro!” I looked up, and Mako was running down the stairs, a smile on his face, I was shocked – he never smiled at me. Bolin followed, Pabu on his shoulders.

“It’s good to see you,” Mako nodded at me, his smile small, but present. I was so transfixed on the fact that he felt some sort of positive emotion towards me that Bolin completely blindsided me, scooping me into a bone-crushing hug and lifting me straight off the ground.

“Bolin!” I cried, my voice cracking as my face lit up. He just picked me up like I was a big sack of nothing, and it made my stomach do a flip. When he finally let me down I pulled back, compulsively dusting off my tunic as I went, trying to busy myself so that my embarrassment wouldn’t be as obvious.

Mako and Asami both chuckled, and when I looked up again, they were all smiling at me. Something inside me clicked, and I smiled back, wary, but with a spark of joy growing inside of me. I had felt so empty these past few days, but it all seemed to fall away once I was with my friends.

“Asami said she was gonna show us her indoor pool. Can you believe it? A whole pool… inside,” Bolin whispered the last bit as if it were a secret, and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Yeah, I can’t wait for you guys to see it!” Asami smiled kind, Mako pressing her close as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I ordered you two some swimsuits last night – Taro, I think I might have something for you in my room.”

I colored, waving my hands. “Oh, don’t worry, I don’t have to swim,” I stammered. I didn’t want to be a bother.

“Don’t worry about it!” Asami chuckled, and she stepped towards me, Mako’s arm sliding from her hip so easily. “I’ve got plenty of extras.”

I looked her up and down. I didn’t know how to tell her this, but she was what? Six feet tall? I was five foot four, and that was being generous. There was no way I was fitting into anything of hers.

But the boys waved us off anyway, and Asami grabbed my wrist, leading me upstairs to her room.

I gasped when I saw it. It was bigger than my entire apartment – actually, it was probably bigger than two apartments, combined. Asami glided to a large door on the left side of the room, opening it to reveal a gigantic closet. My jaw hit the floor.

“This is amazing,” I mumbled, spinning in a circle to take in the whole thing. She had three couches in her own room, not to mention the fanciest radio I had ever seen, a gold-plated phonograph, tiny model cars – it was almost too much to comprehend.

“Huh?” Asami stuck her head out of the closet, then chuckled at me. “Oh! Yeah, my father was very generous when he designed my room. I was always the pick of the lot for sleepovers.”

I shuffled to the wall of model cars, admiring the detail on the little metal toys. “The only girl I’ve ever had a sleepover with is Korra,” I admitted, poking at a wheel of a particularly well-made model. It spun under my finger and I stepped back, shocked. When I turned, Asami was holding a blue and white swimsuit with a smile. She reached me in two graceful steps, placing the suit in my hands.

“Why don’t you sleep over tonight, then? It would be fun.”

I sputtered, holding the swimsuit and looking from Asami to the fancy room.

“Uh, no, I don’t want to-“

“You’re not imposing!” Asami laughed, shaking her head at me. “I really just want to thank you. What you did at the tournament was so brave, and I really admire you for it.”

I sputtered worse, shaking my head violently and stepping back.

“No, I really – please don’t admire me,” I looked down, at the scrap of stretchy fabric cradled in my arms, willing myself to not get emotional. I clutched at the swimsuit, my fingers tense around it. “I failed. I lost. I could have lost my bending-“

“You didn’t lose,” Asami’s hands pressed against mine, and I looked up. She was smiling at me, her eyes soft and kind. “You gave so many people hope. It’s easy for us all to feel so small and insignificant when we only ever see the Avatar taking on someone so powerful. But the fact that you faced Amon with no fear – the fact that you put up a fight, and that you didn’t back down – that’s important, Taro. You’re so strong.”

My bottom lip quivered, and I had to look away. What Asami said filled me with an indescribable feeling – I was proud, but still scared, still unsure. But it was so much better than the emptiness, the fear that had choked me for the past few days, suffocating me in inadequacy. But Asami had seen me – she had watched me fight from the outside, and she knew. Maybe I wasn’t the failure I thought I was.

I slid my hands out of hers, turning away.

“Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me,” I admitted, hanging my head. I took a step towards the door, then faltered.

“Wait a second. Where’s a changing room?”

X

The pool was ridiculous. I stepped into the room at the same time as Mako and Bolin, and all three of us just stood and stared, before Bolin broke the silence.

“This is awesome!” he yelled, running full tilt at the pool, Pabu in tow, and launching himself into it with a huge splash. I snorted, shaking my head as I took in the full space. It was so much more than just a pool – there was a waterfall and fresh towels – and even plenty of chairs to lounge on when you got tired of swimming.

“Oh! Oh!” Bolin called, raising his hand as he bobbed in the water. Asami neared the edge of the pool and dipped her feet in, giggling at his eagerness, while Mako and I still stood astounded by the surroundings.

“Yes, Bolin, you had something you wanted to say?” she asked, the lilt of a laugh in her voice. Bolin nodded, and turned to face Mako and I.

“Guys, we have just the right amount of players. We should play chicken!”

I raised a brow, stepping towards the pool. “What’s chicken?”

“You don’t have it in the Southern Water Tribe?” Mako asked, following me to the edge of the pool. I dipped my feet in like Asami, shocked to find that the water was already pleasantly warm.

I shook my head, swinging my feet back and forth. “No. We did play a game called ‘whoever’s the first to get out is a red faced loser’ though.”

All three of them looked at me. I shrugged. “We live at the South Pole? You know, where staying in the water for too long can freeze you?”

All three of them relaxed, oh-ing and ah-ing as they remembered what living at the South Pole actually entailed.

“Well, chicken is fun,” Bolin continued, leaning against the pool next to Asami. “The two bigger players – that’s me and Mako – carry the two smaller players – that’s you and Asami – on our shoulders. You two try to push each other off, and whoever’s left standing is the winner!”

“That sounds like fun, except I’m pretty sure Asami is taller than you,” I reminded him. Bolin turned pink, puffing his cheeks out.

“I said bigger! Not taller! Listen with your ears!” Bolin pointed to his own, and Pabu chittered, swimming in little circles around him. I laughed, as did Asami. Mako finally joined the edge of the pool with us, crossing his arms.

“I don’t know, bro. Don’t you think we’re a little old for pool game?” Mako asked, and Bolin pouted, clearly dejected by his brother’s dismissal. Asami frowned, shaking her head.

“Well, I think it’s a great idea, Bolin. We should try it,” she smiled at Bolin, and his face lit up. I sighed, shrugging my shoulders.

“I guess we can play,” I agreed, with my own little smile, following Asami as she bounded into the water.

“I call Mako,” Asami sang, yanking at her boyfriend’s leg. Mako groaned, rolling his eyes at her, but he hauled himself into the pool anyway. He probably still thought this was a bad idea.

I swallowed thickly. I should have anticipated that the two lovebirds would team up. That left me with…

“C’mon Taro, we can kick their butts easy,” Bolin muttered low, entirely too close. I jumped, and he was right behind me already.

“Spirits, Bolin, what did I tell you about the sneaking up on me thing!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

“Let’s do this!” Asami called. Bolin and I directed our line of sight to the sound of her voice, and there she was, already standing tall on Mako’s shoulders. He held her legs tight, smirking at us. Oh, even _he_ thought they were going to win, huh? I narrowed my eyes at them. No way am I, a _waterbender_ , losing a _pool_ game.

I looked at them closer, and my confidence faltered. Asami was sitting on Mako’s shoulders, and he was holding her thighs firmly as she giggled and ruffled his hair. My heart hammered in my chest – that was a lot of skin to skin contact. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bolin, his broad shoulders accentuated by the lack of sleeves on his swimsuit. Maybe Mako and Asami had more of an advantage than I thought.

“Uh, so, how are we gonna do this?” I asked Bolin, gesturing to him. “Do I have to like, climb on top of you?”

Bolin snorted, shaking his head. “No, no. Just stay right there, OK? And don’t move.”

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. What, was he going to just lift me up onto his shoulders?

Before I could protest, Bolin held his breath, ducking underwater. What was he – oh! He grabbed my legs, and I screamed as he lifted me, clutching at his hair for dear life. Mako and Asami burst into peals of laughter once we righted ourselves, Bolin holding me steady as I tried to untangle my fingers from his wet hair.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” he laughed, patting my knee before he replaced his hands on my lower thighs. My heart hammered like nothing I had ever felt before, my breathing erratic as I tried my absolute best not to crush his head between my legs.

“It’s OK, Taro! You can sit up!” Asami giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. She was as cool as a cucumber on Mako’s shoulders, standing tall and proud.

I untangled my hands from Bolin’s wet hair, using his head to balance as I sat up straighter. I could feel his hands tighten around my thighs – spirits, how were his hands so _big_ – and I exhaled deeply. I felt like I needed breathing exercises.

“OK, alright,” I sat up straight, willing myself to trust Bolin as I formed a triangle with my hands and pressed outward, exhaling as I did so before dragging my hands along my sides, willing my breathing to even and my heartrate to slow. It didn’t work as well as it usually did, with such a warm, steady pressure just above my knees, but when I opened my eyes I could face Asami without keeling over in embarrassment.

Or, more accurately, I could face her chest. Oh, crap. Bolin and I had forgotten one key difference between us and Mako and Asami – both of them were taller than both of us. Asami probably had a whole extra foot of height like this.

“Oh spirits, wait, this is unfair-!” I tried to argue, but Asami just smirked at me, raising an arm as she yelled “ _charge_!”

“Whoa!” I cried. I held up my arms and Asami bore down on me, her palms connecting with my biceps as we grappled. The boys below were laughing, all good natured as they traded smack talk. They clearly didn’t know that it was a battle of life and death above them.

“You’re going down!” Asami laughed, trying to push me off. I made a choked noise – I didn’t have the use of my arms anymore. The only thing keeping me upright was Bolin. He took a step back to help me right myself, his grip firm and solid the whole time.

“C’mon, Taro!” he called, cheering me on. I set my jaw and pressed back against Asami, trying to trip her up by pushing sideways instead of straight back. Her eyes widened, but with the angle I had it wasn’t hard for her to re-orient herself and stay standing, or, sitting, that is.

I tried my best, but Asami had the high ground, and it didn’t seem like she was halfway out of her mind just from a boy touching her thighs. I pressed back as hard as I could, forcing Asami lower in her stance on Mako’s shoulders just to meet my force. Spirits, she was strong, and as she pushed back against me she grinned, not backing down from the fight.

Oh no. She was pretty. She was pretty, and Bolin was holding me tight, and I was about to fall off-

I abruptly pulled back, tilting my chin upwards forcefully. The water around us responded, a wave cresting just behind Asami and Mako. I cried out in victory.

“Taro-!”

“That’s che-!”

The wave hit us harder than intended, sweeping not only Asami and Mako off their feet, but Bolin and I as well. I gasped as the water crashed over us, knocking the breath out of me.

We went under, but Bolin’s grip barely faltered, instead of clutching my legs, he twisted his body and grabbed my waist, protecting me from the barrage. My heart skipped – I wasn’t in any danger - I knew my own power, even if the wave was larger than I anticipated. But Bolin had acted on instinct, shielding my body with his own.

We both surfaced with gasps, Bolin clutching me to his chest as I coughed, but the absurdity of the situation hit me soon after, and I burst into laughter, knocking my forehead on Bolin’s shoulder even as his hands still sat on the small of my back.

Asami and Mako joined in, and Bolin finally let me go, his initial instinct to protect finally passing. I kept laughing, willing myself not to think about the loss of contact as I fell back into the water, still chuckling, as Bolin’s voice joined the chorus.

“You cheater!” Asami accused, splashing me with a small burst of water. I sputtered, the water falling in my mouth as I coughed again and stood straight up, cocking my head at her, an eyebrow raised.

“Oh, you wanna go again?” I taunted, even as my heart flipped. I think I might literally turn the pool to steam if we ever did that again.

Thankfully, before Asami and Mako could reply, the Sato family butler entered, Korra in tow.

“Korra!” I called, thankful for the distraction. Asami shook her head, giving me a friendly glare before she turned to Korra.

“Hi Korra! I’m glad you made it,” Asami said, swimming over to where Korra stood. I brushed the hair out of my face and followed her and Mako over, purposefully avoiding Bolin’s eyes. I bit my lip, the feel of his hands still etched into my memory. Thank the spirits Korra was here.

“You all certainly settled in quick,” Korra quirked a brow at Mako and Bolin, then raised the other when she saw me. “And Taro’s here too?”

“Yeah, Asami invited me this morning,” I shrugged. I knew that Korra and Asami weren’t on the best of terms, what with Asami dating Mako, and Korra liking Mako… but I didn’t think she was that bad of a person. She was kind, even if her interests conflicted with Korra’s, and I wasn’t going to avoid someone just because she was dating my friend’s crush. Especially when I considered him my friend as well.

“Oh, about the ‘settling in’,” Mako grumbled, swimming over to Asami to give her a pointed look. She giggled.

“Alright, so I didn’t ask my dad before inviting you two to live here, so what? It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission,” Asami chuckled, leaning at the pool by Korra’s feet, with Mako close by her side, hip checking her once they reached the edge. I snorted and flipped onto my back, just enjoying the pool and their company. Asami was right – it was nice to just have everyone together.

“Oh, hey, Korra!” Bolin hauled himself out of the pool, and I spared him a passing glance. He gave Pabu a noogie as he ran to Korra, and the little guy squeaked indignantly. I snorted.

“This place is awesome. Wait, wait, check this out.”

He grinned broad as he motioned for Korra to stay put, then jogged across the pool deck to the waterfall. I swallowed hard when I glanced at him and my eyes wandered to a strong chest, well-defined legs… I looked away, closing my eyes. I could handle this. Pool day. I had already faced Amon, what was some big dork with a distracting figure?

Bolin scaled the side of the waterfall, looking at the water below, and then it dawned on me.

“Earthbending bomb!” he yelled, throwing himself into the water. I screamed as the water crested, knocking me around, even though I was laughing too. Bolin surfaced, slicking his hair out of his face.

“That’s payback,” he pointed at me, with a stupid grin. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“It’s not like I was trying to knock us all over!” I countered. Bolin shrugged.

“Oh sure, sure.”

I rolled my eyes, swimming over to Korra, who was dangling her legs into the water next to Asami. Bolin used this distraction to divebomb his brother, dunking him under the water. I watched, giggling.

“So, what do you have planned for us today,” Korra sighed, shooting Asami a wary glance. “Shopping? Makeovers?”

“Ooh! I vote makeovers!” Bolin called, before Mako used all his strength to dunk his brother. I shook my head, looking at Asami for her answer.

“Actually, I have something a little different in mind,” she smirked devious, and Korra and I shared a terrified look.

X

What Asami had in mind was a ride in one of her father’s prototypes over at the Satomobile racetrack. I sat by in the stands with Mako and Bolin as Asami grinned and led Korra to the cars, Korra beaming at the chance to go for a spin. It would be good for them, I thought. It was clear that Asami was making an effort, when it came to becoming friends with Korra and I, and I appreciated it. I still didn’t know how to interact with new friends, didn’t know if I was bothering them asking to hang out, or coming on too strong. If Asami hadn’t reached out like she did, I don’t know if I would have been able to get to know her the same way. She took initiative, picking out something that she knew both she and Korra would enjoy, so open to befriending Mako’s girl friends. It was very kind, I thought. She could have just as easily demanded that Mako not hang out with us anymore – I knew my fair share of girls from the Southern Tribe who would have done just that, without a second thought. But Asami made a conscious effort to try and befriend all of us, and I appreciated the gesture.

Unfortunately, after the racing, Korra had to leave suddenly. I frowned as she stormed out the door, stuttering out something about babysitting. It seemed more serious than that, but I didn’t press her, and Asami let her leave with no problem. We all shrugged it off and continued about our day, eating dinner in the great hall. My jaw once again fell to the floor, not just at the grandeur of the room itself, but at the quality and quantity of food served to us. I ate like a man starved, and Bolin looked like he was going to pass out from pure joy at the sheer selection of food offered to us.

It was a nice dinner, with pleasant small talk, but after it, I felt out of place. Mako and Bolin were turning in early for the night, and that left me with Asami, awkwardly shuffling my feet.

“Uh, so,” I offered eloquently, and Asami beamed at me.

“Are you still staying over tonight?” she asked, and I sputtered, scratching the back of my head.

“Well, I can, if you want me to – or I could go!” I added, not wanting to impose. Asami chuckled, shaking her head.

“No, I’m excited to have you sleep over. I would have invited Korra too, if she had stayed longer… I feel like I haven’t had a sleepover in forever,” Asami admitted, a bounce to her step as she led me up the stairs and down the hall to her room. I looked at her in wonder – initially, I had thought that Asami was just a kind, sweet person, who wanted to make friends with Korra and I because she was friendly. But, maybe… did she not have many friends either?

The new realization stunned me as Asami puttered around her room, looking for some sleepwear for me. It was hard for me to comprehend that Asami craved friendship the same way I did. She was rich, and beautiful, and kind. Wouldn’t most people jump at the prospect of befriending her?

“Here. These might be a little big, but they should fit.”

Asami plopped a set of black silk pajamas into my waiting arms. The slinky material practically fell out of my grasp before I clutched it tighter to my chest.

“Uh, are you sure, Asami?” I asked, watching as she selected a similar red set for herself. “These look really fancy, and I don’t want to rip them, or get them dirty or anything.”

Asami shook her head, chuckling at me.

“Trust me, I don’t care if you rip them. It’s no trouble, really,” Asami reassured me. I bit my lip, looking down at the fancy, soft clothing that Asami considered simple sleepwear. I was lucky that when Bolin was over I had nabbed a pair of damaged pants from the dye facility I worked at – usually I slept in an old undershirt and my underwear.

Asami sighed, fiddling with her own pajamas in her hands.

“I’m sorry, if this is too much,” she began, sitting down on the end of her bed. I leaned against the back of the nearest couch, waiting as she gathered herself.

“When I was younger, all my friends were just… the children of my father’s business partners,” Asami wrapped her hands over her elbows, pressing her arms to her waist. “All they ever cared about was what dresses I had, what dolls they could play with. It was always some kind of competition – who had more, me or them. My father is considered ‘new money’ and I didn’t know what that meant, but they did. To them, I was only as good as what I could offer them.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t invited them over in a while?” I tried to joke, quirking a brow at Asami. She chuckled at me, but it was sad, and hollow.

“Yeah, it was hard to cut ties with them. Even though they were rude to me, and weren’t real friends… it was terrifying, the thought of having no one.”

I looked down, clutching at the sleepwear in my hands. I didn’t know Asami’s pain, but it mirrored my own, in a strange way. Where Asami had been afraid of being alone, I always had been. I was an outcast, so I clung to any friend I gained like a lifeline, doing everything I could to keep them close. I didn’t understand Asami’s pain exactly, but I felt her fear – her fear of being alone again.

“Well, you’re not alone anymore,” I offered with my own shrug, and Asami offered me a warm smile. “I know we haven’t been hanging out for very long, but I’m not here for your stuff. Although it is _very_ nice stuff, don’t get me wrong,” I added, and Asami laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m not very good at friendship. I only had like, one actual friend until a couple weeks ago, so I’m sorry if I end up being a crappy friend, but you’re a really nice person, Asami. You’re very kind, and you don’t have to be. Anyone would be lucky to be your friend.”

She blushed, holding the clothing close to her chest.

“Thank you, Taro. It’s true, we haven’t known each other that long, but… it really means a lot.”

We sat there in silence for a beat, considering the conversation, before I waved my clothes, standing and stumbling towards the changing room.

“Well, I guess I better get dressed,” I nodded my head towards the room, and Asami laughed again, waving me off.

When I exited the changing room, I couldn’t stop rubbing my own sleeves. Everything felt like liquid on my skin – so soft and fluid, like it could slip right off at any time. It was light and very nice.

“Asami, these- you wear these to bed? These are amazing-“ I patted at the hips of the pants and shoulders. The set she gave me was too big, obviously, and I had to roll the sleeves and pant legs up myself, but they still felt unbelievably comfortable. Asami burst into laughter, shoving her face into a pillow to cover it.

“What?” I asked, crossing my arms. She shook her head, trying to tell me it was nothing, but I raised an eyebrow, jutting my chin forward to let her know I was waiting for an answer.

“I-I’m sorry,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re so small!”

I scoffed, offended. “I am not! You’re too tall!”

“I am _not_!”

We fell into easy conversation, as I draped myself over the couch and Asami snuggled into her bed. She told me how she learned to drive, a little bit about her life with her old friends – how they would try to purposefully get her to make mistakes when they would attend galas together, and that was why Asami was so hyper aware of certain customs and manners. It was interesting – I loved hearing about the cars, how she helped her dad test them, and how she would spend hours just racing for fun.

In turn, I told her about waterbending training with Korra under Katara, and my experiences in pro bending. She listened intently, remarking that she thought pro bending was so interesting, connecting my experiences to things she had seen in the ring, remarking on rules she thought would make the game more interesting if they were implemented. I laughed at some of the more outlandish ones, just enjoying the conversation as the night wore on.

“You had a match against Mako, right? I remember catching it on the radio,” Asami commented, and I nodded.

“Yeah, that was the first match with Korra as their waterbender. He’s a formidable opponent, you know. Your boyfriend’s a pretty powerful bender,” I commented, with a grin. Asami blushed. She was sitting up in bed, her legs crossed as she held a pillow in her lap, resting her chin against it as I leaned over the couch.

“I know. He’s sweet, isn’t he?” she asked, looking more at her bedspread than me, smiling soft and affectionate. Oh, she was smitten, wasn’t she? I chuckled to myself, before replying.

“I think he’s mostly just sweet for you,” I admitted. “He’s all business most of the time. You gotta be somebody special to make him smile.”

Asami squeezed her pillow, and I grinned. It was clear she was a strong woman, proud too. But it was adorable to see how much she cared for Mako.

“I’m sorry if I gush too much – I haven’t had anyone to talk to about him,” Asami admitted, and I scoffed.

“You’ve barely mentioned him! You’re fine,” I assured her, and Asami softened, not as tense as she continued her thought.

“I never thought I would fall for a pro bender, of all people, but he’s very kind, and genuine, too. And he’s the _best_ kisser-“

I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand, and Asami scoffed at me.

“I thought you said you didn’t mind!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s just so funny to imagine Mako _kissing_ someone-“ I snickered, and Asami put her hands on her hips.

“Hard to imagine?”

“Well, to be fair,” I admitted, shaking my head. “It’s hard for me to imagine most people kissing someone. Like Korra? I have a feeling she would just straight up miss the dude’s face altogether.”

Asami and I both burst into peals of laughter at that. Once we calmed some, Asami leveled me with a question of her own.

“What about you, Taro? Is there any special guy in your life?”

I wasn’t expecting the question, and my mouth opened in shock, my cheeks darkening in the light. I tried to salvage my dignity, but Asami was already smirking at me, an eyebrow raised.

“Uh… no?”

“Oh, come on, I saw that look!”

“it’s nothing!” I laughed, trying to play it off, even as Asami reached across the space between us, trying to swat me with her pillow as I tried to avoid her question.

“That blush didn’t look like nothing to me!”

“I just-“ I took a breath, leaning heavily against the couch as I scratched at the varnish. “I’ve never really… had a crush on a guy before…”

It pained me to admit it, and I cringed right after I said it. Sure, in the Sothern Tribe, I had thought some of the boys my age were cute, and attractive, and I had wondered what it would be like to kiss them. But then, every single one of them had opened their mouths and that tiny spark of interest fizzled out and died within the week. The only person who even held my interest for very long was Kyona, and I hardly thought that short relationship at fourteen would count for anything, really. It was hard for people – especially men – to catch my interest and hold it.

And that was the problem. I didn’t want to admit that there was something different about my crush on Bolin. I was almost begging for him to say something stupid, or annoying, or do something weird so that my heart would stop beating so fast whenever he touched me. I didn’t want to feel this way about him. It made me nervous, and confused, and it was so unbelievably distracting. It was so much easier when I could just make fun of him, but now? Any time he touched me it sent shivers down my spine. It made me feel weak, when I just wanted to feel normal.

“Never?” Asami asked me, tilting her head to the side. I shrugged.

“Well, I’ve had crushes on girls, and I’ve found guys attractive before… but never like this,” I frowned. Asami’s eyebrows raised.

“You like… girls, too?”

She looked stunned, and I just chuckled. What was it, about her and Korra and being so shocked? It wasn’t like I tried to hide it.

“Yeah,” I replied with a half-smile, and Asami bit her lip, scrunching her eyebrows together.

“Oh, I didn’t… never mind,” Asami shook her head, waving her hands. “We’re getting distracted. This is about your crush.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, leaning back, and almost falling off the couch in the process. Asami giggled at my turmoil.

“What’s different about him, then? This guy?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I mean, he’s… he’s a great bender.” It was the first thing that came to mind, the thought of Bolin in that match, taking down the Boar-q-pines with such confidence. He wasn’t doing it to show off, or because he needed to impress someone – it was just him. Bolin was a strong bender, quick on his feet, and powerful. That bending was a pure expression of himself, as he fought so hard to compensate for Korra and Mako.

“I can understand that,” Asami replied, with a giggle. “I never found bending attractive until I met Mako.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, staring into the middle distance, still lost in thought. “In the ring, he just – it’s something else. He’s so _strong_ -“

“Uh, you’re talking about _your_ crush, right? Not Mako?” Asami asked for clarification, and I reeled back immediately, waving my hands as I shook my head violently.

“No, no, definitely not Mako! I was talking about B-“

I slapped my hands over my mouth, and Asami’s eyebrows shot up, gasping at me.

“What was that? What’s his name?”

“No! No- I-“

“Batu? Baron? Bao? Wh-“ Asami blinked, and realization dawned. “ _Bolin_!”

“ _No_!” I yelled, louder this time, and Asami leveled a finger at me.

“No, I got you! Admit it!”

I cradled my face in my hands, groaning. Great, another friend armed and ready to tease me relentlessly because I liked a dorky, ridiculous, man. I was done for.


	12. The Aftermath - The Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bolin urges Taro to face her fears, and Asami faces her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is an absolute monster of a chapter, and the most difficult one i've written so far. honestly i'm just glad it's posted so i can finally move on, lmao

I’ve woken up in my fair share of weird places over the years. Being a sleeper that likes to throw herself out of beds in the middle of the night will do that to a guy. But waking up on Asami’s couch was still one for the books. For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.

The feeling held true through breakfast, which almost had me drooling over how perfectly fried the eggs were. I felt so lucky that I didn’t have work, because a slow morning at Asami’s house – waking up later than the sun, eating food cooked to perfection, lounging by the pool – it was intoxicating. A peaceful, lovely, morning.

That was, until Korra showed up at the door. I was walking down the stairs with Asami and Mako, joking about something or another, but the words caught in my mouth as Korra strode into the hall, Tenzin and Chief Beifong in tow.

Beifong and Tenzin climbed the stairs, not even sparing us a passing glance as they made their way towards the second floor. I frowned as they passed. What was this all about?

“What’s going on?” Mako asked, stopping Korra’s ascent with a well-placed hand on her shoulder. “Why are they asking Hiroshi more questions?”

Korra’s face was grim as she faced us, slow and careful as she spoke. I could tell she wasn’t happy about this either.

“I heard Hiroshi on the phone yesterday. Asami… I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think your dad might be involved with the equalists.”

Asami’s mouth dropped open, her brows scrunched in offense. She shook her head, pulling away from Mako’s casually linked arm.

“What? I don’t believe this!” she cried, storming off. I stood, transfixed. Mako leveled Korra with a glare.

“What’s wrong with you? You spied on Hiroshi?” Mako scoffed, jogging after Asami to calm her down.

“Is that why you left early yesterday?” I asked. Korra nodded, her expression even more run down than before as we climbed the stairs together.

“It’s not like I wanted to hear it!” Korra pleaded, and her eyes were sad when she turned to me. I sighed, following the turmoil to Hiroshi Sato’s office.

“My father is innocent!”

Asami’s voice carried as she barged into the office, Korra and I jogging to catch up to Mako and Asami.

“This is all a big misunderstanding – he has nothing to do with those horrible equalists!”

“Equalists?” Hiroshi asked, just as shocked as Asami had been. “Is that what this is about? I can assure you all, I have nothing to do with those radicals.”

“Yeah, Korra,” Mako shot her an icy glare, and Korra narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.

“I overheard you talking on the phone,” Korra began, leveling an accusatory finger at Hiroshi, spurred on by Mako’s rudeness. “You said the Cabbage Corp investigation bought you time, and you’re getting ready to strike. Explain that!”

Instead of getting angry, or denying it, Hiroshi started laughing, his palms up as he leaned back in his chair. I raised an eyebrow. What? Shouldn’t he be upset, or concerned?

“This is all just a simple misunderstanding. What Korra overheard was just business – my number one competitor was knocked out of the game. That makes this the perfect opportunity for Future Industries to strike the market with our newest line of Satomobiles. Nothing nefarious, I assure you.”

Tenzin and Beifong shared a look, and I sighed, relieved. I had no doubt that Korra thought what she heard was suspicious – I would have thought so too. But what Hiroshi said made sense as well. It was the perfect time to release a new product if his main competitor was bogged down with a police investigation. A little sleazy, sure, but it made sense. I could tell that Korra was unconvinced, though. Her jaw was set and she glared at Sato defiantly. I bit the inside of my cheek – who was right?

“To put all suspicion to rest, might we have a look into your factories and warehouses?” Tenzin asked. I nodded. That was a good idea – if Sato agreed, it showed that he had nothing to hide.

Asami huffed, offended, but her father silenced her with his hand.

“Of course – search all of Future Industries, if you need to. I want to help as much as I can with your investigation.”

Tenzin and Beifong shared another glance, before they both nodded at Sato.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Sato,” Beifong amended, before they were off. Asami still had her arms crossed, her lips pursed in a thin line. Korra shot me a look, that was part pity at leaving me behind, but also held within it determination to get to the bottom of this.

“I’m sorry you kids had to see that,” Hiroshi said, once everyone was gone. I shrugged, and Mako shook his head.

“No, _we’re_ sorry. Korra was way out of line,” Mako replied, waving his arm in a strong arch. I frowned at him.

“The nerve of her! You would have nothing to do with any of that, dad,” Asami agreed with Mako, resting her hand on her father’s shoulder. He patted it, smiling gentle at his daughter.

“It’s alright. Everything will blow over soon. Why don’t you take your friends for a walk around the grounds to calm down. I have a lot of work to do in preparation for our next launch.”

Asami nodded, and led Mako and I down to the back door. The whole way, her shoes clacked harsh against the polished floors, and she strode ahead with a fire in her step that was absent before this incident. I had never seen her so infuriated.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this,” Asami grumbled, throwing his hands out in frustration as we left the main house. Mako rushed to her immediately, gathering her in his arms.

“It’s alright. The cops won’t find anything, and it’ll all blow over. If anything, this’ll look worse for Chief Beifong than it will for your dad.”

My eyebrows rose. Mako was right – after the bombing at the arena, the papers and news reports had been more and more scathing in regards to Beifong. If she was wrong about Hiroshi – if _Korra_ was wrong – it could mean the end of her career.

“Taro, you don’t believe her, do you?” Asami asked me, and I was shaken from my reverie. The two of them were staring straight at me, and I stumbled over my words.

“I-I know that Korra thought she was helping,” I started, making that known first and foremost. “I know she doesn’t have anything against you or your family, Asami. But you need to remember that we’re from the Southern Water Tribe – besides one or two wealthy families, we live in a fairly small community that own family-run shops – not large corporations. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding – like your father said.”

Asami sighed, relaxing into Mako’s arms as he rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. She rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his comfort.

“I’m sorry – you’re right, it was just a misunderstanding. I’m very protective of my father… he’s the only family I have left.”

Mako pulled Asami closer, kissing her temple. “It’s alright. It’ll work out.”

“I still need to see it with my own eyes, though,” Asami continued, looking up at Mako. “See what they find in Future Industries’ factories. Will you come with me?”

She directed the question at Mako, and he nodded, holding her tight.

“Of course. Taro,” I stood bolt upright when he said my name, shocked that I was being included in this conversation “can you stay here and look after Bolin? He has a habit of getting into trouble at times like these.”

I rolled my eyes, snorting. “Yeah, like getting captured by equalists? I’ll keep an eye on him,” I agreed, and Asami shot me a wink before she and Mako walked off. It was a good thing they weren’t looking at me, because as soon as Asami winked I was as red as a firetruck.

I shook my head, brushing myself off as I reentered the house, searching for Bolin. I willed my heart to stop beating so fast.

I shouldn’t feel like this. I _never_ felt like this – by now, I should be back to treating Bolin like just a normal friend. I should be able to hang out with him with no problem. But my stupid heart continued to skip, and my mind flipped through all the little touches and glances he’d given me, like some sort of photo book designed to give me heart palpitations.

I exhaled, shaking my head. Bolin was a friend, and things were going to stay that way. The best way to work through it was exposure therapy.

I found him in the pool, splashing around with Pabu.

“Oh, hey Taro!” he greeted with a bright smile. I shot him a dopey half-smile back, still trying to fight down the stupid, idiotic butterflies in my stomach.

“Hey,” I replied, slipping out of my shoes and rolling the legs of my pants up so I could dangle my feet in the water. Pabu squeaked at me, paddling circles around Bolin, and I grinned at the cute little guy.

“Where’s Asami and Mako?” Bolin asked, leaning against the pool beside me. I looked at Pabu, carefully avoiding staring at Bolin’s shoulders in his swimsuit. It wasn’t good for my health.

“Korra showed up with Tenzin and Chief Beifong. They accused Hiroshi of working for the equalists.”

“What? That’s insane!”

“That’s what Mako and Asami thought. When Korra and the others left to check out Future Industries’ factories and warehouses, Asami wanted to follow, so Mako went with her.”

“And you stayed here?” Bolin asked that, with a weird lilt of his voice, one I hadn’t heard before. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think of something to tell him that wasn’t “your brother is making me babysit you.”

“Well, yeah. I don’t get a chance to hang out in a mansion every day,” I settled on, with a shrug. That seemed to be the right answer, because Bolin laughed, shaking his head.

“True, true. And I get to hang out here all the time now,” he pushed off the edge of the pool, laying on his back with his hands behind his head. I rolled my eyes at him. Pabu used this as a chance to climb onto Bolin’s stomach, jumping out of the water and onto his owner with force, and Bolin gasped, clutching at his stomach as Pabu hopped back into the water. I snorted, laughing at his misfortune.

Bolin glared at me, but I knew it was in good fun. “Are you gonna laugh at my pain, or are you getting in?”

I shook my head, kicking my feet in the water. “Nah, I think I’m good here.” My smile fell away a little, as I stared at the pool. Without Asami and Mako there, there was something different about it, and it wasn’t just because I was alone with Bolin. What I had originally thought were just butterflies in my stomach made way for a much heavier weight – the memory of falling into the arena’s pool, my hands bound, only able to bend thanks to the mercy of Amon.

Something must have shown on my face, because Bolin swam towards me, leaning against the side of the pool, his chin resting on his forearms.

“Taro?” he asked, concern in his voice as he tried to catch my eye. I breathed, shaky, trying to will away the memories. “Hey, are you OK?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just don’t know where Asami put my swimsuit, is all,” I tried to offer him a smile, but it felt forced, as I tried to change the subject. Bolin scrunched his eyebrows together – what was once mild concern now morphing into a more pronounced worry.

“No, you’re not,” Bolin replied, stubborn. I frowned at him, but he persisted. “Look, I know Asami told me not to mention it, but – is this because of how you took on Amon at the arena?”

I blinked, reeling back at that. Wait – he _knew_?

“What?” I coughed, all but choking on my own words. I didn’t know how to feel – I felt rooted to the spot by Bolin’s gaze. My stomach churned, his words only adding to the strange, uncomfortable feelings swirling inside me. Now I felt not only guilt at having lost the fight, but also fear – what if Bolin thought I wasn’t strong now, because I failed? What if he pitied me, or thought I wasn’t capable? What if I wasn’t the strong bender he said I was that night at the noodle shop?

“Taro,” he started, placing a hand on my knee. I was torn between ripping my limb out of his grasp, embarrassed, and leaning into his touch. “I can’t imagine what that could have been like, fighting Amon alone. I know you might not want to, but if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen? OK?”

I blinked at him, so confused. His words seemed genuine, but why was he offering? In his eyes I saw concern, a sort of care that I wasn’t used to. Did he think I couldn’t care for myself – is that why he was asking? Or was this just a form of pity I wasn’t used to? My leg twitched under his hand, and he removed his hand, looking away.

“I don’t need to talk about it,” I grumbled, feeling ashamed, embarrassed. I didn’t know, actually, if that would help or not, but I knew that if I talked about it in front of Bolin I would never forgive myself. I wanted him to _like_ me – and he wouldn’t like me if I just kept dragging him down with my problems, my weakness. I had already said too much when he had stayed the night and I had mentioned my parents.

“I’m fine, really,” I spoke firmly, almost too firm, as Bolin flinched, looking at me like a kicked puppy when he next met my gaze.

“I just figured I would offer,” Bolin turned, leaning against the wall of the pool, his shoulders slumped. “After the equalists captured me, I felt horrible. I played it off with jokes, but I had Mako to talk to about the deep stuff. I don’t know about you, but when Amon captured me – I don’t know what I would do without my bending.”

My breath caught in my throat as Bolin continued, still facing away from me.

“My bending means everything to me. Pro bending is everything to me, and if I lost it – I don’t know what I would do. It would be like losing a piece of myself, and even though you guys saved me before it happened… that stayed with me. And talking helped.”

I felt like I had been slapped, as Bolin said that. He was right – I hadn’t asked him how he was, or really done anything other than bring him and Mako food that one time. I wasn’t his shoulder to lean on, and even when we talked, when he sobbed over noodles and I let him stay the night, I didn’t mention it at all, not even once. I just assumed that Bolin was like me – that he dealt with things by denying them, by pushing them to the back of his mind and refusing to admit that they were problems.

Bolin wasn’t pitying me, or calling me weak. He wanted to help, because he _knew_. He was the only person other than Korra who knew what I had gone through.

“I’m sorry,” I said, covering my face with my hand, rubbing the bridge of my nose so that I didn’t have to show my face, because I knew that if I met his eyes, I might start crying, and I would never forgive myself for that. “I never knew –“

“Hey! Don’t worry about it – I had Mako, remember! And I’m cool now!” Bolin said, and I felt his hand on my calf, reassuring me. I shook my head.

“Are you? Because I’m not,” I offered him a sad little laugh, only glancing at him for a second. “I feel so stupid – I fought Amon, and I lost, but why – why did I get to keep my bending? Why were Tahno and the rest of the Wolfbats equalized when I was spared?”

I looked at Bolin, my gaze probably intense, but he met it, full force, his bottom lip only quivering a little as he shook his head.

“Why was I the only one you guys saved at the Revelation?” Bolin countered, his own eyes filled with unshed tears. “What if I hadn’t been last to be equalized? What if I had been second? What if you hadn’t been there?”

I felt my own tears well up in my eyes as Bolin’s voice overflowed with emotion. I couldn’t help myself – who cared about the water, or my clothes. I pushed off the edge of the pool and into it, wrapping Bolin in an awkward hug. I wasn’t one for hugs, and my cheeks burned at the feeling of being so close to him, but I did it still, because I couldn’t bear to see him so hurt.

“You can’t think like that,” I mumbled, pressing my face to his wet shoulder, trying to hide my own emotion, willing my voice to stay steady.

“Then you can’t think like it either, you – stupid!” Bolin sputtered, his voice watery.

I couldn’t help myself, and I chuckled, pulling back from the hug to look up at him. He looked like he was going to start sobbing, but he was also pouting indignantly, and it was the most ridiculous expression I had ever seen.

“You can’t blame yourself for what Amon did – “ Bolin said, his gaze soft, “ – you tried your best! And you were brave! Really, really, stupid, and dangerous, and scary – please don’t do that ever again – but you were so brave. I can’t believe you fought him all by yourself. Asami said you were amazing.”

I did my best not to blush at that – I shouldn’t be blushing, I shouldn’t be proud of losing to Amon. But, somehow, Bolin was still grinning at me like I had won, that I was strong. And that at least offered me a little bit of relief within the despair.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, crossing my arms and trying not to wince at how gross my wet tunic felt against my skin. “I couldn’t just stand there and watch. I had to do something.”

“Well, next time, you won’t have to do it alone,” Bolin promised, with a smile, confident, hopeful. “I’ll have your back,” he jutted a thumb at his chest, puffing it out. I raised an eyebrow, and when he noticed, he backtracked, sputtering.

“I mean! Not just me – like me, and Mako, and Korra – and Asami!”

“I know what you meant, idiot,” I chuckled, splashing him good-naturedly while I chuckled at his embarrassment. He gasped, puffing his cheeks out at me.

“Did you just splash at me?”

“Maybe,” I replied, with a dumb smirk of my own. “Watcha gonna do about it, hm?”

“Oh, it is _on_ ,” Bolin declared, readying his arms for a huge barrage of waves. I only grinned wider. Not only because I would totally beat him – because I would, I was a _waterbender_ , for crying out loud – but because my chest felt a little lighter, my shoulders not as heavy with the weight of what had happened with Amon. I hadn’t forgotten, of course, and it still weighed on me, but maybe with Bolin, I didn’t have to shoulder all of it alone. He was right – I had him, and the rest of my friends, and he had me. We didn’t need to deal with what Amon had done to us all alone, and in fact, we shouldn’t. We were far stronger together.

X

When Mako and Asami returned, neither looked happy. I had just finished drying off from the pool, and Bolin was still in his swimsuit, when the two of them had stormed past us.

We ate dinner, and all the while, Asami glared daggers into her food. Mako relayed to us that Korra didn’t believe Hiroshi was innocent, even after all the warehouses turned up clean, and both of us were shocked. That was so unlike Korra, and Bolin expressed his disappointment, but I wasn’t so sure. If she thought something was wrong, I bet something really _was_ wrong. I knew that she was jealous of Asami’s relationship with Mako, but she wasn’t the angry jealous type. Korra would maybe complain about Asami behind her back, or fawn over Mako, but she would never go so far as to purposefully blame someone’s family for something they didn’t do. I didn’t like it, not one bit, and I felt on edge staying at the Sato residence, but I didn’t know how to leave.

After dinner, we retired to a sitting room. Asami slung herself over a loveseat, half sitting in Mako’s lap as he held her hand. I curled into an armchair, and Bolin and Pabu took the sofa, Bolin kicking off his shoes and spreading out, nabbing some after dinner snacks.

It was serene, in a way. I was here, sitting by the fire with my friends, in a nice house, with snacks only an arm’s reach away. The radio played softly, and we could just enjoy each other’s company.

But the relative peace did nothing to calm my mind. Korra was still out there, searching for what she believed was the truth. Asami looked beside herself, barely containing her anger at the whole situation as Mako did his best to calm her. Bolin was the only one who seemed unphased, and I almost groaned at how dumb he could be sometimes. Couldn’t he see that all his friends were struggling with inner turmoil, while he fed grapes to Pabu like nothing was wrong?

I contemplated ways to take my leave as I sat, working up the courage to tell Asami that I was headed back to my apartment. I was actually just about to open my mouth when the doors to the sitting room flew open, scaring me straight upright.

A whole squad of metalbenders barged in, low in fighting stances as they faced us. Bolin threw his hands straight up, making a little shocked noise. Behind the metalbenders stood Chief Beifong, Tenzin, and Korra.

Asami was having none of it. She stood, her hands balled into fists.

“What are you doing here?” she insisted, and the metalbenders shifted their stances towards her.

“We have reason to believe there’s a factory hidden below the mansion,” Beifong explained, and I raised an eyebrow.

“I think I would have noticed if there was a factory below my house,” Asami snapped, crossing his arms and shaking her head. “The lies you people come up with, just to persecute my father!”

“And where is your father, Asami?” Tenzin asked, cool and collected.

“In his workshop, behind the house,” Asami admitted with a scowl. Beifong nodded at her men and they followed her outside. I shared a look with Mako. His jaw was set and he looked just about as irritated as Asami. When I turned to Bolin he just looked worried. I couldn’t even share a glance with Korra – she was walking next to Tenzin, in front of us, like a woman on a mission.

“Do you think it’s true?” Bolin whispered. I looked from him to Mako and Asami’s backs, how tense and angry they were as they followed the troops to the outbuilding.

“For Asami’s sake… I hope not,” I responded.

The metalbenders kicked in the door to the workshop, filing in and securing the area, before Beifong ushered the rest of us inside. Asami scanned the room around, frantic, but it was clear to anyone that entered that there was no one in the tiny workspace.

“Dad?” she called, looking around. The workshop was empty. Asami turned to Mako, confused and fearful, as he wrapped a calming arm around her.

“Chief, the perimeter was secured when we entered. There’s no way he made it off the estate without us knowing,” a metalbender reported. Chief Beifong’s eyes narrowed as she strode forward slowly, surveying the area.

“Maybe we just didn’t see him leaving,” she countered. She raised her leg, and with a mechanical clicking noise, the boot of her uniform transformed, exposing the bottom of her foot. She stomped down with force, and my eyes widened – this must be the Beifong family’s famed seismic sense – the ability to see by sensing vibrations in the earth.

“There’s a tunnel beneath the workshop, running deep into the mountainside,” she stated, standing upright as the uniform covered her foot once more. Asami’s jaw set, and she set her hands on her hips.

“What? There’s no tunnel. I know my own house, and my own father!” she all but yelled.

Beifong didn’t stop to listen to Asami’s pleas, instead fixing her stare at the floor of the workshop. With a few well placed twists of her wrists, an entire panel of flooring scrunched together with a horrible screeching sound, before she tossed it to the side, with no care for the inside of the warehouse.

We all stood, dumbfounded, staring at the tunnel. It was deep, I could even see that from my vantage point this far back, and it looked like it had been dug with immense purpose – the walls were smooth and I could hear machinery whirring from the depths.

“Asami, do you think your dad knows about this?” Bolin asked, whispering. I physically flinched, my hands frozen in front of me as it took everything I had to not either slap myself in the forehead or punch Bolin in the shoulder.

“I don’t understand…” Asami looked down, into the tunnel, biting her lip. Her fists curled, and then her body relaxed, as if she couldn’t’ fight anymore. “there has to be an explanation for this.”

“Maybe you don’t know as much about your father as you thought you did… I’m sorry,” Korra offered, her voice soft, and understanding. I knew she was trying to help, but this still must be horrible for Asami to deal with.

Beifong ordered her men into the tunnel, and Asami and the rest of us stepped forward to follow, but we were quickly halted by one of the officers.

“Uh-uh. You four are staying up here. Officer Song, keep an eye on them,” Beifong ordered, and I scowled. I understood why she would want us to stay up here, but Korra was headed down there! We could help!

Korra followed behind the rest of the officers, behind Tenzin and Beifong. As she descended the stairs, she peered over her shoulder, offering us an apologetic glance. I sighed. I knew she wanted us there as much as we wanted to be there, but there was nothing she could do about it.

I groaned, shuffling my feet and throwing my hands behind my head. I hated waiting, especially for something as significant as this.

“I can’t believe this,” Asami whispered, turning to Mako. He held her close.

“I’m sorry,” he said, petting through her hair.

“There has to be a reason. Maybe he’s working on something to fight the equalists!” she bartered, and I smiled at her sadly when she looked at me.

“I- I don’t know, Asami,” I shook my head, my hands falling to my sides. “This seems a lot more serious, as much as I hate to say it.”

Before Asami could say anything else, something clanked below us – and not just through the tunnel. I felt the shock all the way up here, the combined sound and vibration stunning me with its force.

“Uh, what was that?” Bolin asked, peeking his head out from behind his brother to gaze down the tunnel.

“We have to get down there – Korra and the others could be in trouble!” Mako said, looking as if he would throw himself down the tunnel at any second.

Before we could make a break for it, our Beifong-assigned babysitter spoke up, leveling us with a bored stare.

“Absolutely not. You’re staying right here until the chief comes back!”

I rolled my eyes, ready to just hop down the tunnel and run as fast as my legs could carry me, hoping that the cop wouldn’t catch up, but Bolin blocked me, tossing his arm in front of my path. I glared at him, but he shook his head, nodding to Mako and winking. I grit my teeth but I stepped back. Whatever those two were doing, it better work, because I wasn’t waiting around anymore.

“Alright, we’ll stay put,” Mako agreed, stepping forward with his hands open, reasoning with the guard. “But can we at least wait outside or something? It’s so dusty in here-“

“No. We’re waiting right here,” Song declared.

“OK, but don’t blame me if I start sn-“ Mako reared his head back as Bolin shuffled his foot along the floor.

“If I start sn-sn-“ Mako leaned forward, and the officer shot him a look. Even Bolin looked fed up with Mako, his head tilted as if begging him to hurry it up.

“What’s your problem, bub?” Song asked, annoyed.

“I’m about to – ah-CHOO!” Mako sneezed, breathing fire right in the cop’s face. And with just a tap of Bolin’s toe, a pillar of earth shot up behind the officer, perfect for him to fall over when he reared back in the face of fire. Before he had even hit the ground, Bolin threw himself on top of him, body slamming him into the ground.

Song cried out, and I snorted.

“That last bit was kind of overkill,” I teased, and Bolin scoffed. I chuckled at him as he held the guard down while Mako found some rope to tie him with. It didn’t take long to secure Song, and then, we were finally facing the tunnel.

Bolin headed down, and I followed him, jogging to catch up. The stairs here were made of metal, and clanged loudly as we walked, the light within the enclosed space dim and ominous. I shuddered at the thought of being trapped underground like this – the place was terrifying.

Mako followed behind us, and I glanced behind him.

“Where’s Asami?” I asked, and he looked to the top. Asami was still standing there, watching us.

“It’s safer if she doesn’t come with us,” Mako explained, and I frowned, shooting Asami an apologetic look.

“You know that’s the exact same thing Beifong said to us, right?”

“Guys, c’mon!” Bolin interrupted, gesturing towards a huge metal platform that had just docked for us. Mako and I shared a glance that our conversation wasn’t over yet, as we boarded the metal contraption, Bolin smacking the button and the gears groaning as the platform started to move.

“This place is gigantic,” I mumbled, grimacing at the dingy walls.

“I can’t imagine Hiroshi was up to anything good down here,” Mako commented, and I nodded, agreeing.

“Aw, c’mon guys! Maybe he’s just really into that dark, creepy scientist aesthetic,” Bolin reasoned. I raised an eyebrow, shaking my head. This boy was way too optimistic for his own good.

The platform screeched to a half, docking at another metal runway. Mako, Bolin and I jogged across it, until we came to a huge metal wall.

“This has to be the way they came – there’s no other passages for them to take!” I noted, whipping my head from side to side as if another door or hallway would appear out of thin air

“It looks like it was sealed off after they entered,” Mako consider, his chin in his hand. “Maybe this was that huge sound we heard earlier. Bolin!”

Bolin stood up straight, saluting us both on impulse. I did everything in my power not to snort at him.

“We need a way in. Can you make us a tunnel?” Mako asked. Bolin smiled, falling into a low stance.

“On it!” he called, and with a few choice earthbending moves, the ground below us opened up, and Bolin began to tunnel under the wall.

Once Mako estimated that we were past the wall, Bolin tunneled up again, pushing the earth away, and popping his head out. His shoulders immediately tensed, and Mako and I followed him soon after.

“Oh no,” Bolin breathed, his shoulders tense as he looked across the room.

“Korra was right,” Mako whispered.

I was stock still and silent as I watched the scene play out in front of me. It was like nothing I had ever seen – there were huge suits made of metal standing all around the fallen forms of the metalbenders, Chief Beifong, Tenzin, and Korra. They must be the work of some powerful inventor – the work of Hiroshi Sato. Whatever information Beifong, or Korra, had gotten, Sato must have been one step ahead. Equalists loaded the metalbenders onto a transport – probably to take them to some prison for Amon.

“We have to do something,” I muttered, flinging myself out of the hole. I knew we wouldn’t stand a chance if we fought fair, but Korra and Tenzin and Beifong – they were still splayed out across the floor. If we could get to them and retreat, we would at least be able to save them to fight again another day.

Bolin and Mako followed me, sticking close to the shadows as we made our way over to their prone forms.

“We grab them, and we get out,” Mako clarified, and we both nodded, then we sprinted to the bodies. Mako immediately gravitated towards Korra, scooping her over his arms. I rolled my eyes – of course he chose the lightest of the three – and hauled Chief Beifong over my shoulders, straining against the weight of her metal uniform. I grit my teeth, sharing a look with Bolin, who had all of Tenzin’s 6’5” frame thrown over his shoulders, and we both agreed with a look alone that Mako was an asshole.

We turned, ready to make a run for it, but as soon as we did, sparks flew in our peripheral vision. My head whipped around, and there was Hiroshi Sato, and the man with the mustache from before, staring us down with their electric weapons.

“Not so fast,” Sato grinned, stopping us in our tracks.

“Oh, Mr. Sato!” Bolin laughed nervously, waving Tenzin’s arms as if they were his own. My face fell. “Wow! What a cool, scary factory you have here under your giant mansion. Never would have known!”

“Sponsoring our team? Supporting the Avatar? It was all just a big cover up,” Mako spat, leveling Sato with a glare. I nodded, adding my own scowl to the lineup.

“And lying to Asami? What kind of father are you!” I screamed, half ready to attack him then and there just for the turmoil he had put my friends through.

“What kind of father am I?” Sato asked, laughing heartily, as if I had told a particularly amusing joke. “A very smart one, I think. It was hard, you know, lying to all of you, supporting your precious Avatar – but the worst part of it was seeing my sweet daughter trapse around with a firebending street rat!”

Sato’s glove sparked, and Mako grit his teeth. I lowered my stance as Sato and the other equalist stepped forward. It didn’t look like a fight we could win, but I knew we would have to try.

I readied myself, prepared to fight, but before the equalists could even reach us, a voice called out.

“Dad, stop!”

My eyes widened. Asami had followed us, and she was right there, behind her father, scared and confused, looking at him with the eyes of a woman betrayed.

“Why?” Asami asked, his voice pleading with her father. Sato sighed, his shoulders relaxed as he turned to face his daughter.

“Sweetie, I wanted to keep you out of this for as long as possible. But now that you know the truth… please, forgive me,” Hiroshi touched his hand to his heart before continuing. “These people, these _benders_ – they killed your mother, they killed my _wife_ , and they ruined the world! But with Amon we can fix it, we can build the perfect world together!”

Asami’s eyes shone, wide and bright in the dim light as she watched her father, as he thrust his gloved fist in the air. The look on her face was unreadable, a mix of emotions I couldn’t comprehend as he spoke.

“We can help people like us, everywhere! Join me, Asami,” he implored, removing his right glove and extending his hand, offering it to his daughter.

She looked at him, then the glove, and took a step forward. I gasped, my eyes wide as I watched her step towards him, until she was only inches away. She hesitated, grasping for the glove, then pulling away, her bottom lip quivering with the weight of the decision. I thought for a moment that she would deny him, pull away and declare him no longer her family –

But instead, she reached forward, taking the glove from him and sliding it on. As she did so, I felt Beifong stir over my shoulder, waking from whatever stunning weapon they had used on her. But I was too enraptured to do anything with this information. Asami held her hand high, testing the function of the glove.

“No,” Mako breathed, and I watched in horror.

“I love you, dad,” Asami sighed, her voice heavy with grief as she raised her own hand to her father. My mouth fell open as he fell to the ground, and the man with the mustache surged forward. But Asami didn’t miss a beat – she dodged, kicking first one of his batons out of his hand, then redirecting the other, pressing it into his own shoulder so that he shocked himself. We all stood stock still, unable to move or speak, in awe of what just happened.

Before anyone could say a word, the machines behind us whirred to life, the harsh lights shining directly at us.

“Let’s get out of here!” Mako yelled, and we scrambled towards the tunnel Bolin had dug, Chief Beifong leaning against me heavily as we ducked into it. We escaped, but only barely, the metal scraping against the earth Bolin bent behind us as we escaped.

Asami led us out of the tunnel, equalist glove still in hand. I still looked at her in wonder. Yesterday she had applauded me for bravery and strength, but what I had done was nothing in comparison to this. She was strong, stronger than I had ever imagined, and I was proud to call her my friend.

X

I was dead tired as I entered my apartment building. I rubbed my eyes, my head still spinning from the night’s events. I thought about Asami, the look in her eyes as she stood against her father, and the sorrow afterwards, in the airship.

I was running completely on autopilot, completing my nightly routine of open mailbox, collect mail, walk up seven flights of stairs because I don’t trust elevators, slap mail on makeshift kitchen table.

I had just finished the last step of the night – slapping the mail down – when a distinct envelop peeked out from behind my water bill. I frowned, sitting down at the table and pulling it out of the pile.

 _Latuna – South Pole_ read the return address, and I closed my eyes, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my free hand. Speaking of parents…

Ever since I had settled in Republic City, my mother had begun to send me letters in the mail. At first, I opened them excitedly – when I was a child, my mother was too ill most of the time to take care of me, and I was left in the care of my grandmother. I had hoped that the letters could be our first real connection, that now, with miles and miles between us, we could finally have some sort of relationship.

Every letter was focused on the same thing. My father. Had I found him yet? Had I checked this district, or that? If I found him, was he planning on returning to my mother? Had he told me how much he loved her? Did he want to be a part of our family again?

I had stopped opening them months ago. And I knew I shouldn’t open this one – I should just shove it in the bottom cabinet with the others, collecting dust as I focused on more important things.

But I hesitated, staring at the letter in my hand, my mother’s elegant, looping handwriting staring back at me.

Maybe it was because of what happened tonight – of how Asami had betrayed her father, how she looked at him with tears welling in the corners of her eyes and told him “I’m sorry” while electrocuting him. Or, maybe it was what Bolin had told me, about how his brother was all he had. Or, maybe I was just tired. But I ripped open the letter, flipping it open as a scrap of paper encased within fluttered to the table.

_My dearest daughter,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Did you get my last letters? I haven’t heard from you for a while now – if you’ve changed addresses, please send either Gram or myself a letter with your new address. We would love to hear from you._

I snorted at that. My grandmother hadn’t sent me a single letter since I left the South Pole. She had been furious when I left – and I knew exactly why.

I was a bastard child – born to my mother, with no father. My grandmother had done everything in her power to maintain out family’s honor, even going so far as to relocate herself and my mother to the Southern Tribe, to try and find her a suitable husband before she was visibly pregnant, so that my mother and I wouldn’t suffer for my her mistake.

But my mother had resisted, insisting that my father would return to her, that he was an honorable, wonderful man – despite the fact that she didn’t even know his name. It had ruined our family, destroyed our reputation. And I had only further shattered it when I refused to live in shame in the Southern Tribe, when I ran from my bastard label.

Gram had been furious, and I doubted that almost two years away from the village had quelled her anger in any sense.

I sighed, turning back to the letter. I shouldn’t dwell on it. What was in the past should stay there.

_I’m writing to wish you a happy birthday. You’re eighteen now, that’s the age of adulthood in the United Republic, isn’t it?_

I blinked, my eyes widening. She had remembered my birthday?

Ever since I had known her, my mother had been sickly and out of sync. When I was growing up, Gram would have to remind her of my birthday, and even then, sometimes my mother would still forget my name, or how old I was. I almost wondered if Gram had reminded her – the letter had reached me a full four days before my birthday, after all – but I doubted it. My heart jumped to my throat. Maybe mom was getting better?

_You’ve grown so much – when I was your age, I had already moved to the South Pole and given birth to you. It’s funny how you and I left our homes at the same age, isn’t it? Speaking of coming of age, and children – have you met a special boy up there? Is that maybe why you haven’t been writing recently? If you have, I would love to meet him. Send me a letter with his picture sometime!_

I pursed my lips, shaking my head. Even if mom was trying to be better, she and Gram were always so concerned with my husband, _my husband_ – I shook my head.

It was a matter of honor, for them. Gram, in particular, had always been concerned with my marriage to a respectable water tribe boy. She had always stressed that I would never end up like my mother, and that in order to restore our family’s respectability I would need a powerful husband.

I narrowed my eyes. That sort of thinking had tainted my views of love when I was younger. My Gram would point out the other boys my age, scrutinize them under her watchful eye, and direct me as to which would be acceptable for me to marry and which would not be. It was a load of crap. None of the boys in my village so much as spared me a passing glance, unless it was to level some snide remark at me.

She had never cared about what I might what, what I might enjoy – she denied me, every single time I begged to learn waterbending from a master. The only reason why she let me train with Korra was because she was the Avatar, and she thought that such a powerful connection would serve me well in society. I sighed as I returned to the letter, my mood already souring.

_Since this is such a special day for you, I hope you can spend it with your father. I know he was never there for your coming of age ceremony in the village, but I hope that in Republic City there is some spectacular coming of age event you can attend together, with wonderful dancing and dinner._

_I hope you find your father soon. He’s a wonderful man, Taro – I have no doubt that he’ll welcome you with open arms. I’ve attached a picture of him to aid in your search – I tried my best to guess what he would look like around this age, and I hope it helps. He’s handsome, isn’t he? I can’t wait until we’re all a family again._

_Much Love,_

_Your Mother_

I groaned, tossing the letter to the floor. Of course. She couldn’t go a single letter without mentioning him. It was always about him, always about some mysterious man who left my mother to rot in the Southern Tribe – left us with nothing other than ridicule and hatred. I couldn’t understand how my mother still loved him, still was so intent on finding him after all these years. Maybe Gram had distorted my view of him, but I thought of him as nothing more than a coward.

With the letter discarded, my gaze caught on the scrap of paper that had fallen to the table. I turned it over, glaring at it.

There was a small portrait of a Water Tribe man, scrawled across it with pen. My mother was a wonderful artist – his eyes looked like mine, defined and angular. His smile even looked like mine – a little half-smirk thing that stared back at me from the image. His hair was tied back into a warrior’s wolftail, his shoulders covered with a fur.

This could be any Water Tribe man, and there were thousands in the city. I rolled my eyes and let it flutter to the floor.

I didn’t have time to chase ghosts. There were more important things to worry about – like Korra, and the equalists, and the fate of the city.

I shuffled off to bed, wishing that the scrap of paper would fall through the floorboards, forgotten, like the rest of my childhood.


	13. When Extremes Meet - Team Avatar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro and the rest of Team Avatar take on the streets of Republic City, facing off against equalists attempting to escape prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't my favorite chapter, and it's a lot of lok retelling, but hey, i did my best.

The phone rang, and I almost fell smack on my face. I was halfway through putting my left boot on, and the harsh tone scared me just enough that I keeled over, barely catching myself against the wall before I tumbled over completely. I scrambled to the phone, worried that something had happened and my boss needed to contact me right away. Today was my first day back at work, but I after the whole arena explosion fiasco, things were still strange with scheduling.

“Hello?” I answered, squishing the phone between my ear and shoulder as I tried to lace my boot.

“Taro! I’m so glad I caught you,” Korra sighed on the other end. I scrunched my eyebrows together, pausing my shoe-tying to stand upright and press the phone to my ear properly.

“Korra? Is something wrong?” I asked, my mind immediately jumping to the worst possible conclusions. Had the equalists showed up again? Had Amon attacked air temple island?

“Well, not like, ‘equalists attacking’ wrong,” Korra started, and I sighed in relief, kneeling down to continue putting on my shoes. “But I need you to get over here right away – it’s an emergency!”

“What is it, if the equalists aren’t attacking?” I asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Ikki told Asami that I like Mako!” Korra all but screeched. I had to hold the phone away from my ear, wincing at the noise. “Can you just come over and try to keep Mako and Asami away from each other until I get back? Tenzin is making me go to see the new Chief of Police get sworn in.”

I frowned at that. Hearing Beifong announce her resignation in the airship as we flew away from the Sato manor was tough to hear. I wasn’t a huge fan of the police, but Beifong seemed like she tried her best to do her job right. Republic City might not get so lucky with their next chief.

But besides that, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Really? Ikki had spilled the beans? Spirits, Korra better not have told those airbending blabbermouths about my crush on Bolin.

“Korra, I would love to be the referee in whatever weird love triangle you three have going on,” I teased, “but I have work in fifteen minutes. I’m already running late!”

“If you’re already running late why don’t you just skip work and help me,” Korra pleaded. I could almost see her tugging at her hair on the other end of the phone. I rolled my eyes, but smiled. As much as I liked to tease, I would much rather be over at air temple island helping Korra keep the peace among her new guests rather than work.

“I’m sorry, I can’t. Look,” I grabbed my tunic, throwing it on and tying my sash with a flick of my wrist, not caring how messy it was. “I’ll come over as soon as my shift ends. Don’t worry about it, I’m sure Bolin will be just as effective a distraction.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Korra said, her voice lilting as if she had remembered something. “If I invited you over you’d just swoon over Bolin the whole time! What was I thinking!”

“I don’t swoon!” I yelled, and she cackled on the other end of the line. I glared at the phone as if she could see me through it. “I’ll see you after work! Goodbye!” I shouted, slamming the phone down before Korra could taunt me anymore. The nerve of her! I didn’t swoon!

My shift felt like the longest stretch of time I had ever spend at the dye facility in my entire life. I couldn’t even count all the times I glanced at the clock, wishing I could leave already. I knew I needed the money, but at the same time, I wanted to be there for Korra… and I also wanted to hang out with my friends. It hadn’t been more than a day since I saw them all, but I still would rather be laughing with Asami, Mako, Bolin, and Korra rather than mindlessly swishing clothing back and forth in a giant vat, mixing various dyes to company standards and bending until my shoulders ached.

By the time I clocked out, I was practically sprinting to the ferry that would take me to air temple island. I had half a mind to just jump into the bay and waterbend myself there, but my arms were a bit tired after my day at work, so I grabbed myself a snack at a local stand and munched away while I waited for the ferry.

When I arrived at air temple island, I was greeted by Jinora. Well, more like I accidentally ran into Jinora while I frowned at the island, trying to divine which direction to go in order to find my friends. Jinora was away in her own world, caught up in a book when we bumped into each other.

“Hey! Wat-oh! You’re Korra’s friend!” Jinora exclaimed, blinking up at me. I offered her an awkward half-smile.

“Yeah, sorry for running into you. Do you know where Asami, Mako and Bolin are, by any chance? Korra sent me over to, uh…” I scratched the back of my head, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. “…help them settle in?”

Jinora squinted at me, but didn’t question my poor excuse. “The last time I saw them, they were waiting for Korra in the courtyard, over there,” Jinora pointed to her left, and I nodded.

“Thanks!” I called, taking off in that direction. Jinora just waved, nose buried in her book once more, not even sparing me another glance.

I rounded the corner, and Jinora was right. Everybody was there, hanging out in the courtyard. Meelo was telling Asami something very important, as she was nodding in time with his animated movements, the little kid gesturing wildly. Mako was flicking a small bit of flame between his fingers, and Bolin was petting Pabu, the little fire ferret wiggling in his lap for belly scratches.

Mako noticed me first, the fire in his hands extinguishing as his eyebrows shot up.

“Taro!” he called, and I waved awkwardly. Asami breathe a sigh of relief, and even Bolin and Pabu perked up, Pabu skittering over to say hello. I leaned down to pet him and he hopped on my shoulder. I laughed, scratching him between his ears as he made a pleased noise.

“Hey guys,” I greeted them, and Meelo pouted, stamping his feet as Asami paid more attention to me than she did him. He kicked a rock as he shuffled away, my friends all rising to their feet to greet me.

“What are you doing here?” Asami asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, are you moving to air temple island too? Did you know they have gendered dorms?” Bolin asked, and I blushed, unintentionally reminded of the night we shared a bed.

“No, of course not,” I laughed, brushing the concept off. “Korra just told me you guys were moving in, and I thought I’d come see you after work.”

“Well, it’s good to see you,” Asami replied, smiling wide. “It was really nice of Korra and Tenzin to take us in, but…” Asami looked away, her eyebrow twitching as if she had a few choice words – perhaps directed at Meelo.

“It’s kinda boring,” Bolin finished, groaning, his shoulders sagging, until he perked right up again, practically bouncing with excitement. “But you’ve been here before, right Taro? You gotta show us the best spots – the _fun_ stuff.”

I raised my eyebrows. My stomach did a little flip at the fact that Bolin thought I would know some fun places to hang out – actually, the fact that they all jumped to hang out with me made me feel so warm already. But, unfortunately for them, I wasn’t the air temple island aficionado that Korra was. I didn’t know of anything fun to do other than watch the airbender kids run Korra ragged with their training.

But the three of them were looking at me as if I was their savior, so I had to respond with something. I shrugged.

“Uh, sorry guys. I’ve only been here one time before,” I apologized, and both Mako and Bolin groaned.

“Well, I’m sure we can think of something,” Asami replied, and then Bolin made a noise, raising his hand high in the air. Asami and I shared a raised eyebrow, and she addressed him. “Uh, Bolin, do you have something to say?”

“I know - we should play a game,” he nodded like this was some new development. I looked at Pabu, who still rested on my shoulder, and he huffed at me, which I took as agreement that Bolin was a complete doofus.

“What kind of game?” I asked, crossing my arms and popping my hip. Bolin spread his arms, as if to tell the rest of the group to hold onto their breath, since what he was about to say was very important.

“What about… truth or dare?”

We collectively groaned, Mako rolling his eyes as I shook my head.

“Bo, we’re not twelve,” Mako replied, and Bolin pouted.

“But it’s a classic! You don’t have to be twelve to get dared to try and _tame one of the sky bison_ ,” he whispered the last bit, hiding his mouth with one hand as he jabbed his thumb towards the two resting sky bison nearby, as if they would hear him, and weren’t just content with munching on their hay.

This time I rolled my eyes, sharing a glance with Mako that clearly depicted our disdain at the current suggestion. Asami, however, was a kind person, so instead she smiled at Bolin.

“Well, it’s better than nothing. So, Bolin. Truth or-“

“Hey, is that Tenzin?” I asked, shielding my eyes from the sun as I gazed skyward. As the shape neared the island, it was clear to all of us that it was a sky bison. Yep, that’s Tenzin.

“Aw man,” Bolin pouted and kicked a rock as the bison landed on the other side of the island. Pabu jumped off my shoulder, leading the charge as we jogged to where Tenzin had landed.

By the time we reached Tenzin, Korra was already long gone. Tenzin himself looked a bit upset, so I knew that whatever had happened when the new police chief was sworn in, it wasn’t good.

“She might just want some time alone,” Tenzin told us, but I shared a look with Mako, and we both came to a similar conclusion. Korra had been shouldering a lot of responsibility by herself lately, and she didn’t need to. She may be the Avatar, but she was still a teenager just like the rest of us. She needed her friends.

We headed off, calling out her name as we searched for her. After a few moments, I sighed. We were calling out for her, loud and clear. If she wasn’t answering, maybe she really didn’t want to be near us. But then, Pabu’s ears perked up and he scampered through a set of bushes.

“Hey guys, I think we should follow Pabu!” I called, and Bolin nodded.

“Good idea, Pabu is actually very intuitive,” Bolin elaborated, raising a single finger as if what he said was some major academic advancement. I shook my head, following the fire ferret through the bushes until I popped out on the other side.

Korra was sitting near the cliff, Pabu resting on her shoulders as she looked across the bay. I smiled, a little sad, as I looked at her.

“There you are!” Bolin called, relieved to have found her. He dropped his shoulder, lowering his hand so that Pabu could hop onto him. He took a longer look at Korra, and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine,” Korra replied, with a well placed shrug. I frowned, crossing my arms. We all knew that was a lie.

“Come on,” Mako said, and his boldness shocked me, as he placed a hand on his hip. “What’s wrong? You can tell us.”

I wanted to shake my head and tell Mako that talking about feelings wasn’t really Korra’s specialty – I knew it because I wasn’t my specialty either. This is what made us such good friends – when things got really bad, we talked about them once and immediately moved on. When the cause of either one of our pain was blatantly obvious, we just didn’t talk about it and tried to forget. We had this unspoken pact that we would just put on a brave face and not discuss our problems unless it was absolutely necessary. But, then again, maybe this was one of those times.

Korra sighed. It pained her to unload all of this on her friends, but by the way her eyes shone I knew that she was telling us because she didn’t want to suffer in silence anymore. The way her eyes caught mine and lingered was telling, and I was reminded of that morning when Korra came to see me at my apartment, completely broken over Amon. She wanted our help now, and she knew she needed it.

“How am I supposed to save the city if I can’t even learn airbending?” Korra waved her hand for emphasis, forming a fist and pounding it against her knee as she looked away. “I’m the worst Avatar ever. I just – I feel alone.”

She hung her head, and I made to move forward, but Asami spoke before I could.

“That’s nonsense,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re amazing.”

“And don’t forget,” I added, stepping forward with a smile, “Avatar Aang hadn’t mastered all the elements when he took on Ozai – in fact, the first time he tried, he hadn’t even started to master firebending.”

“And he wasn’t alone,” Bolin continued, looking at me with a smile before returning to Korra. “he had his friends to help him. Look – the arena may be shut down, but we’re still a team! The new team Avatar!” Bolin threw his arms out for emphasis, smile broad and sincere on his face.

“We’ve got your back, Korra. And we can save the city – together,” Mako finished, smirking and nodding. He threw his hand out in front of him, and Bolin immediately added his palm to the pile. I added my hand next, sandwiched between Bolin and Asami. We all crowded together, and although the air outside was crisp, it was warm in our circle, surrounded by friends.

Korra stood, the smile returning to her face as she slapped her hand on top of the pile, her enthusiasm contagious.

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

X

As it turns out, things had changed since the time of Avatar Aang and his own Avatar gang. Like Katara, as our resident waterbender, I at least had foresight to steal a water skin from air temple island before we set out. But, even then, when Korra and the rest of us rounded the corner and looked at Naga, we all knew without even trying it that the poor polar bear-dog would never be able to hold five full grown teens on her back.

Luckily, Asami had an alternative. Once we got back to the mainland, she herded us over to a private garage, where she unearthed an absolutely gorgeous Satomobile.

“You think this’ll do?” Asami asked, grinning like she had just won the lottery. I shared an excited glance with Korra, and we all bolted for the car.

Mako took the front, as was to be expected, since he was dating the driver. He sprawled out, sending Asami a cheeky grin.

“I like the new team Avatar style,” he said, resting his arm on the door.

Unlike Mako, I, like many a short person before me, ended up squished between two people in the middle of the backseat.

“This is – a little cramped,” I complained, more out of jest than anything else. Korra snickered, nudging me with her hip, trying to bump me all the way into Bolin’s lap, it seemed. When I leveled a glare at her, all I received in return was a shit eating grin.

“Here, does this help?” Bolin threw his arm over the backseat, wrapping it over the seats to rest easily. His forearm brushed the sensitive hairs at the back of my neck, and I shivered at the contact. He was so warm next to me. Pressed to his side, I could feel his heat through our clothes, and I was inadvertently reminded of his chest under my cheek that morning I had woken up next to him, the steady rise and fall of it, his heartbeat in my ear. I blushed furiously, trying my best not to lean into it, willing myself to ignore it.

The worst part was that it _did_ help with how cramped I was – without Bolin’s big arm in the way, I had room to breathe, even if my current position was set to make me hyperventilate.

“Yeah, thanks,” I mumbled, absolutely not looking at Korra and the devious smirk she was leveling me with. Oh, I was never going to live this down.

Before any of us could say anything (or, before I could bail due to horrible, terrible, crushing butterflies fluttering around in the pit of my stomach), Asami shifted into gear, stamping her foot down and throwing us onto the streets.

“My dad had police scanners installed in all his vehicles,” Asami said over the roar of the wind, adjusting the frequency on the radio until we could hear the dull rumble of the police scanner. “This should help us out.”

The scanner was blaring out random codes and numbers I didn’t understand as we rounded the corner, and I had a moment to take this all in.

When I was young and I befriended Korra, I was just excited to have a friend – any friend. I didn’t care that she was the Avatar. Actually, I don’t think I truly comprehended what that meant until now. As I looked at her, hair blowing in the night air, jaw set as she looked forward, towards the road, and our next move, I really understood where I was and what we were doing. Korra was taking the fight to Amon and the equalists, and we were a part of it. Korra trusted all of us, and she considered us strong enough to fight alongside her. She was the Avatar, the force of justice and harmony in this world. And we were her friends.

It was a lot to take in, and I sank into my seat. Ironically, where before the heat of Bolin’s arm around the back of my seat had set my skin on fire, it now grounded me. It reminded me that this was real – that these were my friends, and that they believed in me.

We weren’t going to be scared anymore. We weren’t going to let Amon keep terrorizing us – keep terrorizing the city. We were team Avatar – and we were fighting back.

The police scanner buzzed again, and this time I understood the alert – a prison break. And not just any prison break – equalists had escaped, aided by chi blockers.

I didn’t have time to process before I was thrown forward in my seat, Asami slamming on her breaks. A convoy flew through the intersection in front of us, a large van with motorcycles trailing it.

“Chi blockers – that’s them!” Mako yelled, leaning forward to watch as they sped past. I gripped at the edge of my seat, feeling vulnerable with nothing else to hold onto. I knew we were about to get involved with a chase, and while I was ready to fight back, I couldn’t help the surge of icy fear in my veins.

“Let’s get em!” Korra cried, pointing in their direction. Asami wasted no time, shifting into gear and flooring it to catch up with the chi blockers’ caravan.

We flew around the turn, Asami gaining speed as we soared down the street. The chi blockers didn’t care what lane they drove in, as they blasted through oncoming traffic, leaving vehicles spun out behind them. Asami did her best to avoid them, swerving harshly as we rounded the corner, as I fell into Korra with a loud “oof!” from both of us. At the next turn, she swerved to the other direction, careening me directly into Bolin. My jaw knocked against his shoulder, and I cried out in pain.

“Taro! I got you,” he pulled me back, his arm secure around my shoulders, pressing me to him, protective and warm. I blushed furiously, wishing I could smack myself in the face – stupid heart! This was no time for my crush to act up! The whole time, Asami never lost any speed, gaining on the chi blockers. I thought we would make it – until a huge truck pulled out, separating us in the upcoming intersection.

“Korra, Bolin, I need a ramp, now!” Asami cried.

Bolin released me from his grasp, and he and Korra nodded, before they both formed fists, thrusting their arms forward. Two earth ramps sprung from the street, a clear path for Asami to jump the truck.

“Hold on!” Mako called, and Korra and Bolin both wrapped an arm around me as we flew up the ramp, securing me in their arms so that I wouldn’t fly out of the car. We caught air, and everyone screamed. My butt left the seat under me and I shrieked, clutching at Bolin’s arm to steady myself until we touched down again with a hard thud, the impact jostling everyone in the Satomobile.

Asami took the impact like a champ, never once slowing our pursuit. Bolin yelped, removing his arm from around me to push back his hair, which was flying in his face. Korra took back her own arm as well, as we neared the back end of the convoy.

Mako stood up straighter in his seat, pointing his fingers to the sky. Energy crackled around him and he released a lighting strike, hitting a cyclist’s rear tire and sending it careening into a light post.

Bolin stood in his seat beside me, wobbling a bit and losing his balance. I wrapped an arm around his waist – steadying him like he had done for me moments before. He offered me a half grin and a nod before he was bending – large chunks of rock hurtling at the motorcycle on the far left until its tire popped as well, spinning out against a nearby building.

The third one was mine. I stood, Korra holding on to the back of my pants as I uncorked my water skin, rolling the water over in my hands as I eyed the closest motorcycle. I waited, and watched, until the cyclist eased off the gas just a little – then I struck.

I pressed my hand into a fist, the water forming a solid ice spike, then I pressed forward, with my hand open, in a sweeping chop. The ice spike flew, lodging itself into the tire and popping it, Asami swerving to avoid the bike and cyclist as they collapsed.

Just as I thought we had the upper hand, the two remaining cyclists started blowing black smoke, effectively blinding us. I covered my eyes with my hands, falling back into my seat.

“Korra, Bolin, help me back this turn!” Asami called, accelerating as we neared it. I clutched at my seat as Korra and Bolin bent a ramp to assist Asami in the turn, and we screeched around the corner.

“They don’t know we made the turn,” Asami muttered, eyes on the road. “Get ready!”

We braced ourselves, and Asami revved the engine, surging forward and tripping up the two chi blockers in front of us. Their motorcycles flew to the sides, useless, but the chi blockers managed to survive, throwing themselves onto the hood of the Satomobile.

Mako took one, trying to take them out with firebending even as the chi blocker tied down both his wrists, preventing him from bending.

A second tossed themselves into the backseat, aiming for Bolin. He tried to throw a solid punch at them, but he was too slow, and the chi blocker immobilized his right arm with a few quick jabs, Bolin falling back into the seat next to me with a pained cry.

Luckily for the chi blocker, Asami zapped them right in the leg before I could retaliate, and they fell prone at my feet. I tossed them over the back of the vehicle as Asami and Korra took care of the other chi blocker, tossing them out of the car as well.

Now it was just us and the main transport. Asami pulled up alongside it, and with one swift lightning bolt, Mako took it down, hitting it in the engine so that the vehicle stalled, tipping over itself before it finally crashed to a stop.

Asami screeched to her own stop behind it, the Satomobile leaving skid marks in its wake. Without the wind blowing in our faces and the sounds of battle around us, all that remained was our labored breathed. We all sat, still, in the vehicle. I turned to Korra, and she returned my look of shock and awe.

In a split second, her demeanor changed, as she raised a fist to the air, a triumphant grin breaking across her face.

“Round ‘em up!”

And we did. We tied their hands, arranging them into a straight line for the reporters who showed up surprisingly fast. Faster that the police, who showed up solid five minutes later, sirens blaring as if they were there to actually perform any sort of heroic action besides detain the criminals that we had already taken down.

Tarrlok hopped from the passenger side of one of the vehicles, stalking over to Korra with clear tension in his shoulders. I smirked. I didn’t know much about the guy, but with how he has treated Korra, I could safely say that he was getting what was coming to him for trying to rope her into his stupid taskforce.

“Avatar Korra! What do you think you’re doing?” he shouted, as the rest of the cops did their job of rounding up the equalists.

“Oh hey, Tarrlok,” Korra drawled, hands on her hips and a lazy smile on her lips. “Nice of you to show up finally. Here, we captured the escaped convicts for you.”

Tarrlok frowned, his nostrils flaring.

“What you did was tear up the city and impede the police from doing their job!” he insisted, arms crossed. Korra’s casual air of authority didn’t flinch, not for a second.

“Hmm, that’s funny,” Korra tapped her chin with a finger. “I didn’t see your little taskforce, _or_ the cops, the whole time! If it hadn’t been for team Avatar, they would have gotten away,” She waved at him, throwing his incompetence back in his face. I could have sworn I saw his eyelid twitch in irritation.

He scowled at us, stalking back to the cop cars with a severe stomp to his step.

“This is your last warning, Avatar,” he growled, pointing a finger at Korra. “Stay out of my way.”


	14. When Extremes Meet - An Unjust Cause

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro struggles with her feelings for Bolin and the consequences it may have on her ability to fight against the equalists; Team Avatar faces Tarrlok in the Dragon Flats borough.

The success from the previous night had us in high spirits as we crawled the streets the next night. I was squished between Bolin and Korra on the backseat again, but as we cruised, the police scanner was unusually silent.

This was good, in a way, because it meant that our success the previous night had sent some sort of message to the equalists, or maybe Amon himself. Maybe we had scared them, or at least made them a bit more cautious. I knew that after the bombing of the pro bending arena, that tensions were high, and it seemed as if the equalists would always have the high ground, but I was hopeful. Maybe, if we continued like this, prowling the streets, keeping them safe, we could keep the equalists on their toes.

I sighed as Asami rounded a corner, pressing me into Bolin’s side, his weight firm against me, his heat seeping through. I was torn between wanting to press closer and feeling like I should pull away the instant I touched him, denying this whole stupid crush.

I didn’t have time for it, really. It was a distraction – we were at _war_ with the equalists. I didn’t know how Korra could stand it, or Asami, or Mako even – liking someone at a time like this. Before we had climbed into the Satomobile today, Asami had given Mako a little kiss on the cheek, and Korra had turned away, unable to look at their display of affection.

Nobody was currently vying for Bolin’s affection, but that didn’t make liking him any easier. I had thought – well, really, I had _hoped_ – that my crush would vanish as soon as it had come, like usual. I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed as if the opposite was occurring – the more time I spent with him, the more I fell.

I chanced a look at him, and my breath caught. He used his opposite hand to push his hair back as the wind flung it into his eyes, and my gaze flitted over his hair, his hand, his forearm, his jawline – I blinked, turning away quickly and willing a blush not to form. Spirits, how could any of them handle something like this. I felt completely irrational, like I was floundering in deep water. Every point of contact I had with him felt electric, every smile he shot my way like an arrow through my heart.

And the worst part was, a month prior I hadn’t felt this way at all. Yeah, sure, I liked to tease him, and it was so much fun to banter with him and catch his shocked face, but – it was nothing, nothing like this. I just thought he was goofy, not someone I wanted to… _touch_. My face went hot at the thought.

I still liked teasing him, of course. I loved seeing him flustered, I loved to see him laugh – but spirits, it was so _different_. It actually concerned me that when he was around I acted so irrational, so utterly _stupid_.

And it was dangerous, like this. What if I was too distracted by him, and an equalist attacked me? What if I wasn’t able to protect my friends because I was too preoccupied? When he was in my line of vision, it was like my attention drifted to him automatically, my eyes unable to leave his goofy smile, or the strong line of his shoulder. It was ridiculous!

Maybe Korra had some way to handle it. After all, she was managing fine, and that was pulling jealousy into the mix too. My heart tugged a little, thinking of how I knew that both of my friends liked the same boy. It had bothered me before, how I was almost the middle man between them, the only one who knew that they both liked him – but at the same time, I didn’t want to choose one of them over the other. Korra was my oldest friend, of course, but Asami had supported me when she really didn’t have to. I valued them both, and I didn’t want to get in the middle of things – especially not right now. We needed to be a team, and love shouldn’t get in the way of any of that. I mean, I had seen exactly what it had done during the pro bending tournament. Maybe after all of this blew over, we could handle it.

“Hey, Asami!” Bolin called. His voice rumbled against me, and my heart skipped when I realized just how heavily I was leaning on him – I hadn’t even done it consciously. I was hardly touching Korra.

Asami caught his eye in the rearview. “Yeah?” She called, over the rush of the wind.

“Can we get a snack or something?” I snorted, and he glared at me. “Hey! If we’re gonna be out here all night, we need food! I’m a growing boy!”

“Growing? How much bigger are you getting?” I chuckled, poking his beefy shoulder. Maybe it was because I wasn’t nearly as tall as Korra or Asami, but he seemed so big. The memory of his hands engulfing my own (significantly large) thighs when we had our pool day weighed heavy on my mind.

“I-hey!” Bolin sputtered, and I laughed, enjoying his reaction. He was cute when he was embarrassed. Spirits, I was a mess.

“He’s got a point, Asami!” Korra called, leaning forward in her seat so that Asami could hear her better, gripping at Asami’s seat to steady herself. “There’s nothing on the radio, and I’m kinda hungry too.”

As if on cue, my own stomach growled. “Yeah, Asami, I need food, I’m a growing girl.” I teased. Bolin let out an offended noise.

“I hope you are! You’re only like, this tall!” Bolin teased me back, patting the top of my head with the hand he has wrapped around the back of the seat. I gasped, batting good-naturedly at his hand as he chuckled at my misfortune.

“Alright, I know a bun place we can go!” Asami replied, turning at the next intersection and pulling into a spot on the side of the street to park.

“All right! I love steamed buns!” Bolin yelled, vaulting himself over the side of the car. I rolled my eyes, locking eyes with Korra, who giggled at the whole situation.

We bought our food, one bun a piece, just to keep us going. The little hole in the wall shop was small, but their steamed buns were massive, and very hot. I felt like I was going to have burns on my hands that would need healing.

We gathered around the car, leaning against it (or, in Bolin’s case, climbing straight on top of the hood) to eat our snacks, just enjoying the night as the scanner continued to crackle.

“You know, this reminds me of how I would hang out with my friends when I was younger,” Asami admitted, turning to me. I tilted my head between bites of my food.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she continued, her fingers tapping against her half eaten bun. “One of my favorite things was cruising through the city, with no real destination in mind. Not a lot of my friends back then liked it, but I thought it was fun.”

“That’s because it is!” Korra butted in, leaning across the car to grin at Asami. Asami blushed, smiling back.

“You really think so?”

“Yeah! It’s like how I used to take Naga for a run back at the South Pole. It just feels like freedom!”

“I guess it does,” Asami looked down, taking a bite of her food, and I glanced between the two of them, taking a big hunk out of the bun and chewing thoughtfully.

It was then that the radio crackled to life, louder than before. The dispatcher sounded serious – an equalist riot in the Dragon Flats borough.

We all piled into the car, a mish-mash of limbs. I ended up in the back seat again, this time crushed between Korra and the car, as she was in the middle seat this time, cornered on the other side by Mako. I smiled jovially, hip checking her closer to him like she had oh so nicely done for me the last time we had ridden together.

The ride was quick, but as we entered Dragon Flats, it became blatantly clear that something was very, very wrong.

“Why’s the power out?” Korra called, sharing a concerned look with Mako. I frowned, my eyebrows scrunched together, and I caught Asami’s eye in the rearview mirror, her own expression just as confused and anxious.

Asami rounded the corner into a much larger street, and at the center of the intersection we found the source of the disturbance. Police were already on scene, but as we hopped out of the vehicle, it was clear that the disturbance wasn’t caused by equalists. My lips hardened into a thin line as I watched the cops corral civilians into the middle of the street.

“These people aren’t armed _or_ dangerous!” Asami stated, waving a hand at the crowd as we approached. I frowned, crossing my arms.

“Sure doesn’t look that way,” Korra replied, voicing what I had been thinking. This was so idiotic. There were actual equalists out there, planning their next attack, or terrorizing benders, and we were here with a group of angry civilians who just wanted their power back on?

A loudspeaker crackled and I winced, covering my ears. This couldn’t be good.

“All non-benders return to your homes immediately. Disperse, or you will be arrested!” the new police chief relayed to the crowd, his eyes cold and dead.

The crowd didn’t take kindly to this announcement, instead screaming at the top of their lungs – obscenities, how they were being mistreated, how the police were the ones who had turned their power off. My jaw set. I had lived in Republic City long enough to know that Dragon Flats was a majority Earth Kingdom borough, with a high population of non-benders, what with its local factories and workplaces catering to non-bending related skills. It was much like how my own borough catered to waterbending, with its dyeing facilities, large-scale laundry facilities, and water filtration plant. The cops were purposefully targeting Dragon Flats because they were non-benders, and it was despicable.

I grit my teeth, my fingers dancing over the water skin at my waist. I knew it would be stupid to lash out at a time like this, but spirits, did I want to.

We neared the edge of the fencing used to contain the crowd, and the civilians spotted us, running to the edge of it.

“Avatar Korra!”

“Help us,” one woman said, holding a child in her arms, another clutching at her hand. “You’re our Avatar too.”

Korra stood, staring at them for a moment. I didn’t know exactly what she was thinking, but I could imagine it. She had stood beside Tarrlok before, participated in his Amon taskforce. She had directly hurt these people by supporting Tarrlok in the past, giving him more power and influence to take over the police force and influence further corruption in Republic City. She had to feel awful.

But these people didn’t care about that right now. All they wanted was help. All they wanted was for Korra to redeem herself – for her, and her friends, to show support for benders and non-benders alike.

Korra set her shoulders, barging through the cops stationed outside the barrier, and I grinned. That’s the Korra I knew and loved.

“Don’t worry everyone! I’ll take care of this!” she called, turning swift on her heel and scanning the area. I knew exactly who she was looking for, and once she found him, she stormed off in his direction, hands balled into fists.

“Tarrlok!” she yelled, obviously trying to contain her fury. “What are you doing? Turn the power back on and leave these people alone!”

I followed her, and as I neared the tent, some icy fear crept into my veins. I tried to brush it off, shaking my head back and forth, but the pit in my stomach persisted, urging me to consider that something wasn’t right. I frowned – I already knew something wasn’t right, and that was the situation here, with these people being held against their will. Spirits, ever since I started to like Bolin, it was like every single system in my body didn’t act the way it should.

“Avatar Korra, you and your playmates-“ he scanned across the rest of us, and I glared at his condescending tone. “-have no business here.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Korra replied, not backing down from him. “You don’t have the right to treat these innocent people like criminals!”

“This is an equalist rally! There is nothing innocent about it,” Tarrlok countered, but Asami was having none of it.

“They’re not equalists, they’re just normal people who want their rights back,” Asami argued, stepping up beside Korra.

“And their power!” I continued, pointing towards the lack of lights. “Wouldn’t you be scared and angry if you were left in the dark by the people you should be able to trust?”

Tarrlok sneered. The thin veneer of contempt he used to hold back his rage snapped, and he shook his head, jabbing his finger at us.

“They are the enemy!” Tarrlok declared, extending his arm towards the crowd, barely holding back a sneer. “Round up all these equalists!” He commanded, directing his attention towards the guards.

I gasped, turning to see the cops bending the metal of the fencing surrounding the civilians. They pushed them back, encircling them in metal, before bending the earth under them, sending them straight off the ground, into the air – probably so the cops could load them into their wagons easier. My blood boiled as they screamed, terrified as they clutched at their children, their loved ones, their families. Those that weren’t caught in the traps scrambled, hopelessly running from the very people that were supposed to protect them

“Korra-!” I started to call, but she was already on it.

“Let them go!” she cried, earthbending the civilians to the ground. Some managed to escape, ducking under their restraints and running off, as fast as they could, before the police could stop them. I watched, hopeful, as Korra stomped the earth back into the ground, more and more civilians escaping. I was so distracted, that I didn’t notice Asami’s distress until she called out.

“Hey! Let me go!” Asami cried, tugging desperately at a stream of water wrapped around her wrist. Tarrlok yanked at her, trying to pull her to him.

“You’re under arrest!” he called, the anger clear on his face, his sneer prominent and daunting. I answered it with one of my own.

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” I yelled, using my own water to slice through Tarrlok’s hold, pulling Asami close and falling into a ready stance, water still flowing around my hands as I glared.

Tarrlok’s eyebrows shot up, a vision of pure shock, before he snarled, the water trailing back into his own water skin with a startling noise.

“Arrest them both! That waterbender just attacked me! She’s clearly an equalist!”

“What!?” I screamed, falling back as the police surrounded Asami and I.

“That non-bender girl is out past curfew, and you’re helping her resist arrest! Come quietly or else we will have no other choice than to use force,” Tarrlok sneered, and the cops responded by falling into their own ready positions, the cables attached to their armor primed for a fight. I glowered at Tarrlok.

“This isn’t fair!” Bolin shouted, pushing past us, shielding Asami and I with his own body. “They didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Actually, why don’t we add the pro bending brothers to the list. Arrest them as well!”

The cops didn’t wait for any other orders. The attacked before I could even react, the cables whirring as they snapped around Mako and Bolin.

“Hey-!” I yelled, trying to dodge the cables, but Asami wasn’t as fortunate, as she was ripped from my embrace and hurdled into a waiting cop.

I struggled to regain my balance, and before I could press my water into ice, to maybe fight back, a final set of cables wrapped around me, knocking my breath away, my water falling to the ground, useless as I struggled against my binds.

“Tarrlok!” Korra screamed, enraged by his actions. With one swift movement, two gigantic pieces of earth hung over her head, her eyes glaring daggers into Tarrlok’s.

He stared back at her, his eyes cold and conceited as he smirked, only slightly, a cruel thing. I scowled, struggling against my bonds. He couldn’t do this!

“Korra, if you don’t want to end up in prison like your friends, I suggest you set those down and head back to air temple island, where you belong,” he sneered. Korra hesitated, glancing at us.

“Korra, it’s not worth it,” Mako responded, and through the pounding adrenaline in my head, I knew he was right.

“Don’t risk yourself,” I added, because I should have never brandished water against Tarrlok in the first place. The icy fear I had felt throughout this entire interaction flowed heavy in my veins. What would he do to me, now that I had bent against him? What would he do with Asami, or Mako, or Bolin? Fear gripped me, but Korra was our last hope.

Korra dropped the rocks to the ground, her head hung, defeated.

The policeman that was holding me tied my wrists, hauling me off to a transport with the rest of my friends.

“We’ll be alright,” Bolin assured Korra as he was pushed into the van. I cringed, my heart hurting at the sight of him being treated so poorly – at all of us. Mako hung his head, seated in the van, and Asami stared at me sadly as I was thrust into a seat next to hers.

“Don’t worry! I’ll call Tenzin, he can get you out!” Korra replied, so concerned. I only caught a brief glimpse of her, eyebrows furrowed, face full of worry and regret, before the doors rattled closed, sending us into darkness.


	15. Out of the Past - A Desperate Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their prison break, spearheaded by Lin Beifong, Taro and the remaining members of the Team Avatar infiltrate an equalist prison facility in their search for Korra.

I woke to a cold, hard cot under my head, my wrists aching from their bonds.

“Taro? Are you up?” Asami asked. She sounded just as exhausted as I felt.

After we had been arrested, the police had thrown us into a cell together, and Chief Saikhan had ordered my hands be cuffed, even as I was jailed. Apparently Tarrlok thought I was “dangerous” and the assertion only made me even more irritated. It was so condescending – as if handcuffs could prevent me from bending. I knew that it was just a way for Tarrlok to rile me up, to piss me off, and it was working very well. That night I had gone into great detail, letting Asami know every single way I could break out of this place if I wasn’t so sure Korra would have us out soon.

By now, I had worn myself out. My wrists hurt, and I didn’t feel rested at all.

“Yeah, I’m up,” I groaned, sitting up. “This sucks.”

“I know,” Asami agreed, with a sad smile. “But Korra will have us out soon. It’s only been a day.”

“Ugh,” I grumbled, knocking my head against the cold wall. “We’ve already been in here a whole day – wait.” I stiffened, and Asami looked at me quizzically. “That means – today’s my birthday? Oh, fantastic, a prison birthday.” I bonked my head on the wall again, closing my eyes. “Perfect.”

“It’s your birthday?” Asami asked, leaning forward. “I had no idea!”

“Well, it’s never really been a big thing for me,” I admitted, shrugging. “But I was hoping that this year – oh well. Always next time.”

“I’m sorry, Taro,” Asami consoled me. “We could have thrown you a wonderful party.”

“Honestly, I would have been happy just cruising around again for another night,” I sighed, shaking my head. I was reminded of my mother’s letter, of how she wished me a happy birthday, with an extravagant party. With my _father_. I frowned. Even on my birthday, it had never been about me.

“It’s fine. Better here than at the South Pole,” I grumbled, pulling my knees to my chest.

I was prepared to sulk, but before I could manage it, or maybe before Asami could try to comfort me, the door to our cell crashed open. I bolted upright – to protect Asami or to attack, I wasn’t quite sure. I didn’t have the water for either of those things, but I still fell into a defensive stance, ready to fight.

“Hope you got enough beauty rest,” Beifong quipped, knocking the door off its hinges. I stared at her, dumbfounded, as Asami sprung to her feet.

“Beifong?” I asked, astounded. She rolled her eyes at me, and with a flick of her wrist, my handcuffs fell to the floor.

“No time for questions, come on, I’m busting you out,” she ordered, waving her hand. I shared a look with Asami, and I shrugged, my eyebrows raised. Well, it wasn’t Korra and Tenzin with a lawyer, but if it works, it works.

“Thanks,” I replied, still stunned, and I jogged to keep up with her.

“I definitely owe you,” Asami added with a smile, following me as we trailed Beifong. She peeked into various doors, looking for Mako and Bolin, until she finally found the one she was looking for.

Beifong bent the door open with ease, and Asami flew past me.

“Mako!” she called, jumping into her boyfriend’s arms.

“Asami,” he replied, holding her close and pulling her in for a kiss.

My heart did a little flip, and my eyes flitted to Bolin, who had turned from the sink, the water still running.

“Asami- Taro!” he called, smiling broad as he waved his wet hands at me. I snorted, rolling my eyes at him as I leaned against the door. He practically barreled through Asami and Mako, to scoop me into a hug of my own. I almost screamed, only barely holding it in because I knew that if I made too much noise, the guards would notice.

“Spirits, Bolin!” I whispered, trying to keep my blush from spreading as he hugged me tight, my arms pinned to my sides. “It’s good to see you too!”

“Hate to break up your lovers’ reunions-“ Beifong started, and Bolin released me as if he had been burned, almost whacking me into the doorframe. I didn’t blame him – if I had any control of the hug, I would have done the exact same. I at least resisted the urge to smile at the sight of the tiny blush spreading across his cheeks and nose. Even if he didn’t like me back, it was really cute to see him flustered from Beifong’s assumption.

“-But Korra’s in trouble,” Beifong continued, and all thoughts of Bolin’s blush disappeared from my mind. “Amon captured her, and she needs our help.”

“No – no, she can’t be gone!” Mako cried, shaking his head. My mouth hung open.

“She’s not. Not if we have anything to say about it,” I growled, nodding at the rest of them. Bolin nodded back, punching his fist to his palm, and Asami nodded at me, determined. Mako was the only one who still looked deflated, but I hoped he would recover soon. I knew he had some sort of weird feelings for Korra, but if he wanted to help her, he would need to move past it.

“Come on, we have an Avatar to rescue,” Beifong declared, and we all sprinted out of the cell, down the hall. There was no way we were letting Amon and the equalists get away with this.

X

As soon as she got us out of the prison, we were headed to air temple island, crammed inside Beifong’s Satomobile. Asami took the front, which left me squished between the brothers, their conflicting emotions clashing.

Mako was deep in thought, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Anyone could tell how concerned he was for Korra, but what was more concerning was how deeply his cool had been rattled. For once, Bolin was the determined one, his jaw set and his eyes forward, ready to rescue Korra.

I pat Mako’s knee, briefly, uncomfortable with the contact. It was hard trying to be Mako’s friend these days – I liked Korra and Asami, but I didn’t want either of them to think that I was going to add to their Mako crisis.

“It’s going to be alright,” I tried to reassure him over the howl of the wind as Beifong drove us to the ferry. “Korra’s strong. She’ll be able to hold on until we find her.”

“But what if Amon’s already gotten to her?” Mako countered, staring at me with eyes that held more fear than I had ever seen in them before. “What if he’s taken her bending away. What do we do then?”

“He wouldn’t,” I assured him, shaking my head. “Amon wouldn’t just take the Avatar’s bending away with no audience. He had a movement to lead. He would want to take away Korra’s bending publicly, as a display of strength. As long as we get to him before that happens, we can still get her back. Just like we saved Bolin.”

“Yeah, Mako,” Bolin added, leaning over my shoulder. “We’re not letting them win. We’re bringing Korra home. We’re team Avatar, and nothing can stop us!” Bolin raised his fist to the air, and even though it was cheesy, it brought the edge of a smile to Mako’s face. At the very least, when I next met his eyes, he looked calmer, more focused.

“You’re right. We’ll find her.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bolin cried, wrapping his arm around me and his brother, squishing us together so tight that I thought I heard something in my sternum crack.

As soon as we arrived at air temple island, we immediately trudged to Tenzin’s office, and basically kicked the door in. Tenzin himself was on the phone, and as soon as he saw us, his face when pale.

“I’m gonna have to call you back,” he muttered to whoever was on the other end, setting the phone down with a soft clang.

“Lin!? Wh-what are you – you should be in a hospital!” he cried, gesturing wildly to Beifong, who just looked bored. Then he turned to the rest of us. “And you four – you should be in prison!”

I couldn’t help but grin at that, crossing my arms and popping my hip. Spirits, was I happy to be out of prison.

“I figured you could use our help finding Korra,” Beifong explained, as calm as ever.

“Do you have any leads?” Mako asked, pressing forward with an edge in his voice. Despite Bolin and I calming his fears, he was still twitchy and frantic, and I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want Korra in the hands of the equalists for any longer than necessary.

“I’ve been on the phone all morning, but nothing yet,” Tenzin admitted with a sigh, hanging his head.

“We need Naga!” Mako yelled, and I all but slapped myself in the face.

“Of course! Naga would be perfect for tracking Korra!” I was upset I hadn’t thought of that myself.

“I’m afraid her polar bear-dog is missing as well,” Tenzin muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. I deflated, upset. How were we going to find her?

“Then where do we start?” Bolin asked.

“My guess is we start underground,” Beifong began, stepping forward. “In the maze of tunnels beneath the city.”

“Underground,” Asami scoffed. “Just like my father’s secret factory,” she shook her head, grumbling. “Figures.”

“No, that makes sense – when those chi blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel!” Bolin said, gesturing to go along with his story.

My eyes lit up, and I gasped at Bolin.

“Of course! You were captured! Do you think you would be able to recognize where they took you?” I asked, excited, my eyes shining.

“Uh,” Bolin started, scratching the back of his head, a little blush growing on his cheeks. “Well, you see-“

“I know where to start,” Mako butted in, drawing all of our attention. “Korra and I chased the equalists that captured Bolin for a while before they lost us. Maybe once we get there Bo will remember something.”

I nodded, my heart beating fast at the prospect of finding Korra. It wasn’t the best of starts, but it was a start. If the equalists had her, they probably took her to the same place where they took Bolin.

We took a sky bison to the spot where Mako had last seen Bolin, and with the help of Beifong’s seismic sense, we were quickly able to locate a tunnel leading to the underbelly of the city.

“There!” Bolin called, running to the tunnel, which was obscured by a metal grating. As we approached, Beifong fell to the ground, scrutinizing the tracks in the snow.

“Motorcycle tracks,” she explained, glaring at the tunnel.

“Korra has to be in there,” Mako said, his voice lilting with emotion. I glanced at him, and he was looking at the darkness ahead of us with an intensity I had never seen in him before. I cared about Korra – I cared about her a lot, but the way he reacted was beyond anything I understood. He must love her, I realized. He must love her more than I even thought he did.

Beifong bent the metal grating up, and we marched on, Mako igniting a small fire in his hand so we could see in the dim tunnel. It was dark, and damp, which was at least good for me. I was out of a water skin, but at least there was moisture about, if need be. Melting icicles dripped from the ceiling, pooling at our feet as we trudged on, until we arrived at a fork in the road, four passages in front of us.

“This way,” Mako commanded, already walking towards one of the tunnels.

“And what if Korra isn’t down there?” Asami asked, concerned.

“Then we pick a different tunnel and try again!” Mako countered, a sliver of desperation entering his voice. Asami flinched away from him, and I cringed. Oh no. This is why dating withing the group was a bad idea.

We followed him - Bolin, Asami and I straying back as Mako led the way, Beifong and Tenzin right behind him.

“Hey, is Mako alright?” Asami asked Bolin, looking dejected. I walked close to her, ready to offer comfort if she needed it. “He seems really worried about Korra.”

“Yeah, we all are!” Bolin replied, as oblivious as always. I sighed, knowing exactly what Asami meant, and she caught my eye, shaking her head.

“I know, but – you’re his brother,” Asami continued, and my heart twinged, because I knew where Asami must be going with this. “Do you think he likes Korra as more than just a friend?”

“W-what? No! Haha, that’s just gossip – crazy talk is coming out of your mouth right now” Bolin replied, waving his arms frantically, his voice jumping up an octave. I cringed, shaking my head, as Bolin gave me a look that screamed _Taro help me please, oh spirits_.

“What do you know, Bolin?” Asami leveled him with a direct question, hands on her hips. “Spill it!” she commanded, and I shook my head, as Bolin grew more and more frantic. I guess I would have to take one for the team.

“Mako kissed Korra during the tournament,” I admitted, and both of them looked at me as if I had slapped them. “Right after the quarter final game,” I added. I hadn’t seen it myself, but Bolin had told me, and if Asami was pressing Bolin for the information, I might as well fess up.

“Taro – you knew?” Asami asked, this time directing her anger at me. I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

“Yes, I knew – Bolin told me,” I added, and Bolin waved his arms again as Asami directed her attention towards him. “I know I should have told you, but with everything going on with the equalists – I thought maybe we could pull through until after we all stop Amon.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Asami scowled, shaking her head. “I’m not mad at you, Taro – or you, Bolin, I just – I can’t believe this,” Asami scoffed, storming off after Mako and the rest of our party. I shared a look with Bolin.

“I could have told her, you know,” Bolin whispered, as Asami took the lead. I grimaced, shaking my head.

“I know – but it was my secret to keep too.” I replied.

Before he could argue my point, or before I could elaborate, a low humming echoed through the tunnel – motorcycles.

“Hide!” Beifong called, and we all ducked against the walls, behind whatever we could manage to find. The bikes turned the corner, the lead opening some sort of door located inside the wall. We would have never noticed it was there, if not for the equalists pointing it out themselves.

Once the motorcycles disappeared down the tunnel, Beifong approached the door, bending it open so we could all scuttle inside before she closed it behind us.

We watched carefully from the shadows as equalists loaded onto suspended trolleys, meant for transporting goods throughout the tunnels. I was stunned by how clean and organized it looked – with one equalist directing the traffic as the trolleys came and went, the others loading and unloading materials and reporting on different ventures. The training facility, the prison – the prison! We must be in the right place.

“That must be where they’re keeping Korra,” Tenzin muttered, leaning around Beifong. She glanced back at us.

“We’re taking the transport. On my signal,” she relayed, and I nodded, along with the rest of us. She peeked around the corner, and once the coast was clear, she jogged to the trolley, all of us following close behind – quick, yet quiet.

Asami manned the machine, and the rest of us climbed on, riding it through the dark tunnels. Asami was right when she mentioned this being like her father’s underground factory – I was eerily reminded of our adventure below the Sato estate. I hoped that unlike that day, this rescue mission wasn’t a trap the equalists had laid.

Even though I was trying to be strong and sensible for the sake of the rest of the group, I was just as scared, and the more I thought about Korra’s situation, the deeper the fear set in. Korra was our one hope. If Amon was taking away bending, maybe as the Avatar, she could unlock some sort of power to reverse it, like how Aang learned how to take away bending in the first place. So that way people like Tahno, and all the other benders who lost their ability to bend, could hopefully regain it, and lead a normal life again.

But it was more than that. Korra was my friend, and I knew how much losing her bending would crush her. And I hoped to the spirits that that was all Amon would do to her. If she died – my stomach flipped at the prospect. I don’t know what I would do without her. She was my best friend, and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to her while I was so stupidly locked away in prison, just waiting to be released instead of breaking out myself. I hoped we weren’t too late.

In the distance, the tunnel opened up, dim light filtering through.

“On my mark, we’re jumping off this thing,” Beifong ordered. I nodded, readying myself. With how organized the equalists were, there was no way they didn’t have checkpoints everywhere. Beifong was right to have us jump off the transport, and as soon as she whispered “now!” I bailed, along with everyone else, sprinting to the end of the tunnel as the trolley docked at the station.

Two equalists appeared to inspect it, but before they got very far, Beifong zapped her metal cords at them, pulling them into the tunnel and bashing them against a wall, knocking them both out cold. I winced at the sight, remembering the night I had been arrested. The fact that the cops could have just as easily thrown me like that chilled me to the core, but Beifong didn’t even notice, instead dragging the equalists out and throwing them against the wall.

“You two,” she motioned to Asami and Bolin, “keep an eye on them.”

Beifong used her seismic sense to determine which was we should go, and I cast a glance at Asami and Bolin. Asami still looked tense, her arms crossed and her shoulders unusually drawn together, her whole body stiff as she glared at the equalists. Bolin looked awkward beside her, and I couldn’t imagine what was going through his head. We needed to focus on finding Korra, but whatever was going on between Asami and Mako was bogging our whole group down. He shot me a little wave, and I quirked a half smile, waving back at him, willing my heart not to jump at his attention. Spirits knew we didn’t need even more drama in the group. Bolin and I had to be the steady ones now.

“My men are at the end of this corridor,” Beifong relayed, replacing her boots.

“What about Korra?” Mako asked, before Tenzin or I could so much as open our mouths. I bit my lip, waiting for her response.

“I don’t see her yet,” Beifong replied, stalking off towards the hall. I frowned. That wasn’t good. Were they keeping her someplace else? Maybe closer to Amon, where he could protect her personally? What if we couldn’t find her? My skin prickled with goosebumps as we made our way down the hall.

As we turned a corner, the maze of cells surrounding us, two equalists jumped out of nowhere. I fell back into a defensive stance, but Tenzin took initiative, blasting them both with a burst of air, knocking them into the solid wall behind them.

Beifong didn’t wait a beat, completely putting her trust in Tenzin and continuing on her path for her men.

Mako was on the equalists just as quick, tearing one of their masks off and slamming him into the steel.

“Avatar Korra, where are you keeping her?” he demanded, no hesitation at all as he pressed the man for answers. I joined him, leaning over to see what the equalist knew.

“I-I don’t know,” the equalist coughed, his head thunking against the wall. I frowned.

“Oh yeah, sure you don’t,” I sneered, rolling my eyes. I fed off of Mako’s angry energy, my own fear that Korra wasn’t in this facility edging me into despair as I egged Mako on.

“Maybe this will make you talk-!” Mako yelled, lifting the equalist with a single hand and ramming him into the wall, a fist of fire poised at his neck. I scowled at the equalist, who sniveled as Mako poised the fire closer to his face.

“She’s not here, I swear! We didn’t take her – and we didn’t attack City Hall either! Tarrlok lied!”

My eyes went wide, and Mako looked from me to the equalist. Dread pooled in my stomach. If Tarrlok had Korra – what would he do with her?

“What?” Mako asked, lowering the equalist to the ground. He looked from me to the man, and I felt like I might be sick. If Korra had been captured by Amon, there had at least been some hope. We knew Amon’s agenda, we knew how he worked, and even though taking Korra’s bending away would have been horrible, she would still be _alive_. But Tarrlok – he had no such motive to keep her around, and it chilled me to the bone.

Beifong rounded the corner with her men. I could tell by the gaunt looks on their faces that they had lost their bending, but that was nothing compared to the dejected tone of voice Beifong spoke with.

“I scanned the whole prison. Korra isn’t here,” she relayed, and I shook my head, holding it with my hands.

“This equalist – he said that Tarrlok lied, that the equalists didn’t attack City Hall, or capture Korra at all!” Mako yelled, throwing the man to the floor. He whimpered, and I stared at him, trying to get my mind to catch up to the racing beat of my heart. I couldn’t let fear overcome me. I breathed deeply, pressing my hands outward in a triangle, willing the feeling to leave me.

It did, surprisingly. The blood rushing through my ears calmed, and as I drew my hands along my sides, my heart slowed. I was still scared out of my mind for Korra, but I needed to be determined, and aware. Tarrlok may have more of a motive to be deadly when it came to Korra, but he also had plenty of reasons not to be. He was a public figure, and he valued his position on the council. Maybe he hadn’t killed her yet. At least, I prayed to the spirits he hadn’t.

“That scheming – he has Korra! He fooled us all!” Tenzin cried, his hands balled into fists. I felt his rage, willing it to fuel my own. Tarrlok had purposefully led us on a wild chase for Korra, but now we knew the truth. We could still win this, and get Korra back.

I didn’t have much time to process the information, or calm myself any further. My adrenaline ran high as an alarm sounded, flashing lights alerting us that the equalists knew where we were. It was second nature at this point to run, so I did, sprinting down the hall towards the exit, the rest of our party at my back.

“Let’s go, people!” Bolin screamed as we scrambled down the stairs. I threw myself into the back of the trolley alongside Mako, and as quick as we came, Asami was pulling us out of the station, hurdling towards the exit.

But unfortunately for us, we weren’t quite fast enough. A light shone in the distance – chi blockers on another trolley, gaining on us, and fast. I shared a glance with Mako, and made to pull water from the damp walls of the tunnel, and he to summon his lighting, but before we could move any further, Bolin stood, motioning for us to back off.

“I got this one,” he mumbled, standing firm in the center of the trolley. I stepped back, and so did Mako, as Bolin held a solid stance. He flung his arms outward, forming fists, and then pulling in, and the entire tunnel collapsed behind us. My mouth fell open – I had never seen him bend so much at once before.

“Try to chi block that, fools!” He yelled, effectively breaking my awe as he waved his arms, smirking like an idiot. I closed my eyes, willing myself not to roll them. I was still afraid for Korra, and adrenaline still pumped heavy through my veins, but I quirked a smile nonetheless, as Bolin taunted our pursuers. I didn’t know what it was, but seeing him act like his normal, cocky, dorky, self – it calmed me, in a sense. Grounded me, made me fell less alone, less surrounded by just doom and gloom. It centered me in a way I wasn’t used to, but one that I readily accepted.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to dwell on the sentiment.

“We got more company!” Beifong yelled, pointing at the end of the tunnel. I leaned over the railing, and saw a crowd of equalists at the end of it, the spark of electricity at their hands.

“Hang on!” Beifong commanded, bending the beam in front of us down. I barely had any time to react, holding onto the railing for dear life as we sailed onto the beam, completely detached from the system that ran the trolley. Beifong bent a hole in the earth, and we soared through it, crashing down with a loud bang that sent me to my knees.

When we screeched to a stop I groaned, resting my head against the railing.

“Is everybody ok?” Mako asked, stumbling to his feet and scratching his head.

“Yeah,” I croaked, and a few of Beifong’s men nodded, shooting Mako a thumbs up here and there.

“Bolin? You alright?” I called, standing up. He looked like he had whiplash – his hair all over the place, the rest of him draped over the railing as he looked at me in shock.

“That was… _awesome_!” He yelled, admiring Beifong’s bending. I sighed, shaking my head as I grinned at him. At least we had all made it out of there in one piece.


	16. Out of the Past - The Water of the Womb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro faces Tarrlok alongside Tenzin, Beifong, and the remaining members of the Krew. And no one was ever prepared for the outcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, here it is, the chapter i've been teasing for forever. i'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but fuck, here it is anyway

We made our way to City Hall as quickly as possible. My heart pounded the whole way, knowing that every second was precious, that we needed to get to Tarrlok as soon as possible. My hands gripped the sky bison’s saddle far harder than necessary, turning my knuckles white.

“Taro,” I flinched at the sound of my name, but it was only Asami. She placed a hand on my shoulder and I let her, even though I stiffened at the contact. I could feel Mako and Bolin’s eyes on us as Asami settled in next to me instead of Mako.

“It’s alright. We’ll find her,” she assured me, and I immediately thought of my conversation with Mako earlier that day. A startlingly similar one.

I shook my head, looking forward, to City Hall.

“We better,” I grumbled, willing my fear to transform. Tarrlok had done this – he had done _all_ of this. He had imprisoned me and my friends, he had kidnapped Korra – or, perhaps he had done worse. I balled my hands into fists as we descended towards the building. Tarrlok should hope that there isn’t any water around, or else I wouldn’t hesitate to pierce him straight through with it. I was done with his pompous, conceited ass.

I could feel concerned eyes on me as we stormed into City Hall. Asami was worried, leveling both Mako and I with the same glare. For once, I was on the same wavelength as the firebender, both of us ready to fight Tarrlok as soon as he entered. I could feel Bolin’s worry as well – it practically radiated in the air as he frowned at us, holding his arms to his chest. But I pushed aside any sort of guilt I felt at worrying him – this wasn’t about him. It was about Korra.

“I’m glad you could all come at such short notice,” Tenzin greeted the rest of the council, and I tried to at least calm my anger. I couldn’t just go around attacking people – especially not councilmen. Tenzin could take care of it, I had to remind myself. There was a sort of satisfaction in seeing someone beaten, even if you yourself are not the one doing the beating. But spirits, was I ready to do the beating if necessary.

“Chief,” Beifong greeted the new chief of police, with a stoic glare.

“Lin,” Saikhan replied, with a bit more malice in his tone. I glared at him over Beifong’s shoulder, wishing ill on him as well for locking us all up. None of this would have happened if Korra had her friends by her side.

“Is there any news of Avatar Korra?”

The voice came from behind us, and I whipped around on my heel as fast as lighting, my expression deadly, my hands balled into fists. It was Tarrlok, and worst of all, he was acting as if he cared – as if he was concerned for Korra’s wellbeing and safety. I had to hold back a snarl, and the rage contained within our party rolled off of us in waves, as Mako grit his teeth beside me. The deep pit in my stomach filled with dread at the sight of him – at the feeling of such a wretched man drawing so close to us and acting as if he was innocent.

“We do,” Tenzin began, his voice loud, commanding. His robes snapped, echoing in the room as he leveled a finger at Tarrlok. “You kidnapped her, Tarrlok!”

Tarrlok scoffed, clutching the front of his tunic as if he had been burned.

“I am _shocked_ you would accuse me of such an evil act!” he cried, holding his hands out in placation. “I already explained – equalists attacked us and took her!”

I felt a growl grow low in my throat, and I edged forward, almost without thinking about it. The only thing that stopped me was Bolin’s hand on my shoulder. I stuttered in my step, looking up at him as he held firm, shaking his head only once.

I exhaled, nodding at him before looking down. Spirits, if Tarrlok didn’t boil my blood – but Bolin’s hand on my shoulder was steady and strong, and his gaze was determined, yet controlled. As I exhaled again, I willed myself to channel that energy, guiding my hands to the front of my chest, and pushing down as I inhaled. I felt the weight of his hand on my shoulder, the warmth of it, and willed my breathing to even, my heartrate to slow. I needed to be strong and steady, not irrational and quick to anger, if we wanted to find out where Korra was.

“There were no chi blockers here last night,” Tenzin continued, standing firm despite Tarrlok’s dismissal. “You planted that evidence here, didn’t you?”

“That is a ridiculous accusation-“ Tarrlok started, his voice raising, as if he were to level Tenzin with an accusation of his own - but before he could continue, another voice rang out in the chamber.

“It’s true! He took her!” called a page, peeking around one of the pillars of the second floor. His eyes seemed impossibly wide as he gazed out at us, every ounce of him quaking like a leaf.

Bolin’s hand fell from my shoulder as his mouth fell open in shock, and my own shoulders fell slack at those words. They were horrible, of course – but the page only said that Korra was taken – not that she had been killed. I breathed steady, even. There was a chance, then.

“I was here when Avatar Korra arrived last night,” the page continued, still shielding himself with the pillar, looking every bit like a frightened child. “but councilman Tarrlok ordered me to leave. I was on my way out when I saw Tarrlok bring her down to the garage – he threw her in his Satomobile, and she firebent at him!”

My breathing leveled further, and my mind cleared. So she was alive – alive and fighting. I leveled Tarrlok with a glare – no longer one borne out of righteous fear, but one of fierce, determined anger.

“That is nonsense!” Tarrlok roared, shaking a fist at the page, who shrunk back at his volume. “Everyone knows you’re nothing but a squeaky-voiced liar!”

Beifong ignored Tarrlok, instead crossing her arms and facing the page directly.

“Why did you wait until now to fess up?” she demanded, ever the cop.

“I was terrified to tell,” the page admitted, looking down. “I was terrified, because… Tarrlok is a bloodbender!” he screamed, “Tarrlok bloodbent Avatar Korra!”

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the building. The deep pit of fear within me twisted, as I locked eyes with Tarrlok. That fear, that sense of wrongness – it amplified tenfold as I made eye contact, his own eyes frantic, panicked, and full of rage. It hovered around me, a palpable thing, stifling as I watched the scene play out before me.

“Don’t make this worse for yourself,” Tenzin commanded, falling into a fighting stance, Beifong moving into one beside him. I stood rooted to the spot, Tenzin’s voice sounding as if it were coming from underwater. My thoughts felt slow and foggy, the blood in my ears pounding louder than ever, my body screaming wrong, wrong, _wrong_ -

“Tell us where she is!” Tenzin commanded, urging Tarrlok to comply.

I could see the panic in Tarrlok’s eyes, as they flitted over the crowd. I could feel the tension within him as he looked from Tenzin, to Beifong, and then to the rest of us. He was caught like that, for a moment – scared, and trapped, and _angry_ -

And then, something snapped, and sound came rushing back to me as Tenzin and Beifong surged forward, ready to capture Tarrlok.

He wasn’t having any of it. Without so much as a second thought, he raised his arms, his wrists bent, and my body _screamed_.

“ _Ah_ -!” I cried, as my body moved for me, my arms wrenched away from my sides, my wrists twisting. I stared at Tarrlok, and he bent his elbows, sending us to the ground, my legs buckling as I fell to my knees. I could feel my muscles twist inside me – feel his power coursing through my veins, controlling me, forcing me against my will. That fear, that cold, terrifying, _wrong_ thing, surged through me like a virus, and I struggled to keep upright.

But it felt… _familiar_ , somehow. A barrage of memories battered my mind – the first time I had ever healed myself without water, the sting under my skin when I didn’t breathe in time with it. I remembered my breathing techniques, the ones I used almost every day, to calm myself, to center my energy – and I focused on the similarities. It was familiar, in a twisted, violating sort of way – but if it was familiar, that meant I could fight it. That meant I could _beat_ it.

Tarrlok strained as he willed us down, and I inhaled, gathering strength. He snapped his wrists, and we started to fall – first Tenzin, passing out cold, his body prone on the hard floor. Beifong was next, and then Mako.

When I felt his hold bear over me this time, I willed myself not to panic – I breathed deep, remembering the feeling of calm my breathing could wash over me, grounding myself. As the ice twisted in my veins, I breathed out, imagining my hands moving along my body.

I willed it away – that sea of dread, that feeling of control, all of it. And when Tarrlok threw me to the ground, I landed on my palms.

The rest of my friends fell, and the world spun around me as I shook my head, struggling to stay conscious, gritting my teeth as I wobbled to my feet.

The world spun, and Tarrlok sprinted towards the door – fast, too fast.

I couldn’t let him get away – I wouldn’t let him. He had kidnapped Korra, hurt my friends, corrupted my city –

I threw myself into a low stance, digging my heels into the ground to center myself, breathing deep as my chest swelled with breath. I threw my hands outward, fingers splayed as I grabbed for Tarrlok.

“ _Stop_!” I screamed, sliding my right foot behind me and tugging, my hands clasped like claws as I yanked my elbows to my ribs. I breathed deep, and my power surged – it exploded beyond my own body, gripping onto Tarrlok’s form like a vice, and I hauled him backwards, knocking him off his feet.

He fell to the ground, crashing with a thud as his feet slipped, as his torso contorted. I roared, and I wrenched my hands back again, my body screaming at the force I exerted. Tarrlok cried out, his body no longer under his control as he fought against it, his eyes full of hopelessness, and rage, and pure, unaltered _fear_.

Sweat beaded at my forehead as I panted, and I felt tears well in the corner of my eyes as he gasped – the pure terror in his eyes as he looked at me, as something dawned on his face as I swayed on my feet, black spots swimming in the corners of my eyes.

My knees buckled as I desperately tried to stay upright – the bending taking far more of a toll than I thought it would. But I couldn’t fall! Korra needed me, and my friends needed me, and I didn’t want to lose, not again, not after everything -

“It can’t be,” Tarrlok mumbled, staring up at me, rising to his knees on shaky limbs. I sneered at him, stepping backward even as I swayed, uneasy on my feet.

“Stay back!” I screeched, as he stood, stumbling a bit as he reached towards me, his hand outstretched. He looked at me with confusion – with spite, perhaps.

“I never thought - ,” he whispered, reaching towards me. I flinched as the black spots finally overtook my, my vision leaving me. I tried to speak, but nothing came out, my head spinning as he approached me. I tried desperately to stay conscious, to stay alert, but in the end, there was nothing I could do. My legs buckled under me, and the world went black.

X

X

X

I awoke in a car, the rumbling rattling my skull as I regained consciousness. I snapped up, almost hitting my head on the back of the seat, until a hand gripped at my shoulder, squeezing tight.

“Watch it, you’ll hurt yourself,” Tarrlok warned, before his grip returned to the wheel. I gasped, blinking hard.

“Tarrlok! You-“ I leaned forward, snarling – until my head spun, black spots swimming at the edges of my vision as a fierce, sharp pain stabbed me behind the eyes. I shrieked, curling in on myself as I shrank back into my seat.

Tarrlok tsked from his seat, sparing me a glance, a mix of contempt and worry.

“I _said_ you’d hurt yourself. Sit still,” he commanded, shaking his head. I groaned, my head pounding as I clutched at it.

“What are you doing – why did you kidnap me?” I asked, my voice far weaker than I wished it was. Spirits, my _head_ – every single time I opened my mouth, it throbbed in time with my words. And that wasn’t even counting the stiffness in my hands – _my hands_.

I looked down at them, my fingers, my palms. I had _bloodbent_. I had bloodbent Tarrlok. And I hadn’t even hesitated. The thought made my skin crawl… Katara had briefly mentioned bloodbending to me when she had taught me about the full moon and its power. She had always spoken of it with such vitriol – she said it was the only form of waterbending born out of hatred. I shivered at the thought, my head still pounding.

I gazed at my hands, flexing my fingers. I was a bloodbender. The power that surged through my veins – that was bloodbending too, wasn’t it? What I had always used to heal myself without visiting Kya or Katara, what I had always been able to accomplish with my breathing exercises – that was _bloodbending_. I was forcibly controlling the way my blood pooled in my body, the way it ebbed and flowed, just like any other liquid I could bend. I had _always_ been a bloodbender, from the first day I tangled water in my hands and pulled it to my will. From the first time I healed a broken cut without water, from the first time I had breathed steady, pulling my hands along my sides to calm myself down.

I blinked, hard.

I had to push past it. I had no time to consider the moral repercussions of what I had done when I was locked in a Satomobile with an unhinged man. I glanced at Tarrlok in the corner of my vision, as he stared out at the road, his eyebrows scrunched in thought. I had seen how he acted in City Hall – his fear, his panic. His world was crashing around him, and he didn’t have much left to lose. I didn’t know why he had taken me – maybe my bloodbending was strong enough that it scared him. If that was the case, he might lock me up wherever he had Korra… or worse.

A chill ran down my spine, and my head throbbed as I leaned over, my elbows against my thighs, pressing my face into my hands. If I wanted to survive, I had to do two things. First, I had to heal myself. Luckily, with my abilities, it shouldn’t be a problem for me. I had healed many of my own headaches over the years, with my breathing technique – this would be very similar. The second part would be far more difficult – until I could fight, I had to remain civil in the face of Tarrlok. No snide remarks, no antagonizing jabs. I had to heal myself.

I was so focused on my own goals, that when Tarrlok spoke, I jumped in my seat.

“You’re Latuna’s child, aren’t you?”

Even more than his voice, his words caught me off guard. I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused as I glanced at him, before the movement made my eyes ache, and I had to turn away, rubbing my temples with my fingers as I struggled to dull the pain.

“How do you know that?” I asked, breathing evenly, so that my healing could work. Internally, I was panicking – how did he know my mother? Had she wronged him?

Tarrlok sighed, and I glanced up at him. He looked at me for a moment, before returning his gaze to the road.

“I knew Latuna when I lived in the Northern Water Tribe, as a boy,” he paused, as if the next phrase was caught in his throat. “She was… my first love.”

My head snapped up from my hands, and I stared at him, fighting past the pain as my heartbeat raced. I searched his face, and I was bombarded with memories.

Tarrlok, looking smug as he crossed his arms, smirking at Korra. That same half smirk that the man in my mother’s drawing wore. His eyes bore the same shape as mine, the color strikingly similar. And the way he talked, how he had to hold himself back, how the _anger_ boiled under his skin -

“You’re my father?” I choked on the words, the sounds forcing their way out of my throat. I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t, but – it made so much sense.

“You-you!” I grit my teeth, and the pounding in my head was the only thing that quelled my anger, as I forced my face into my hands, my fingers working at my temples. _No antagonizing jabs, no snide remarks._ I had to silence myself before I ripped his head off – he had abandoned me, abandoned my mother. Left our family – his family – to rot in the Southern Tribe. And for what?

“I know you must resent me,” Tarrlok’s jaw was set hard as he stared down the road, his eyes never leaving the front windshield. “I don’t blame you. I was selfish – I left Latuna for a new life in Republic City. I never wanted a family. I wanted something more, I wanted change, and I wanted a new life… away from the weight of my own family’s curse.”

I flinched at the sound of that. It was similar, far too similar to my own reasons for fleeing to Republic City for a better life.

“What curse?” I asked, rubbing gentle circles on my temples, trying to push away the swirling nest of emotions clouding me. I couldn’t go comparing myself to Tarrlok – I shouldn’t. I refused to allow myself to feel any sort of kinship with this man. He has abandoned my mother, kidnapped Korra, and bloodbent my friends. I centered myself on those thoughts, on helping them, instead of feeling sympathy for him, as I breathed deeply. I needed to focus on healing myself, first and foremost. Hopefully he would get so caught up in his own story that he wouldn’t think too much about what I was doing next to him.

“Bloodbending,” he spat, and I winced. I blinked, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him, the absolute vitriol pouring from him as he gripped the steering wheel, far too tight.

“I never asked to be a bloodbender – never wanted it. But my father… he _needed_ me to become a powerful bloodbender, wanted me to be his tool for revenge,” Tarrlok grit his teeth, glaring out across the road. He stopped for a moment, glancing back at me, with an unreadable expression.

“My father – your grandfather,” he huffed a chuckle, shaking his head at me, in disbelief that I was his daughter, still. “Your grandfather was Yakon. I’m sure you would understand why I would want to escape his grasp.”

I sat up, my hands falling away. My head was still fuzzy, as I stared at Tarrlok, my back straight, but there was no pain, even though my head swam with this information.

It all made so much sense – why Tarrlok could bloodbend without a full moon, and why _I_ could as well. Everyone knew of Yakon, the terrifying psychic bloodbender who could somehow perform the feat no matter the time of month. Tarrlok was right – I did understand why Tarrlok might want to escape that reputation, that grip, but-

“I thought Yakon had been in prison?” I asked, so confused. Tarrlok laughed, but there was no humor in it.

“Oh, no. My father was too smart for that. He changed his name, ran somewhere far, far away, where no one would recognize his face, with the help of his mob connections. Started a simple, normal life, with a loving wife,” Tarrlok shook his head. “Bastard never deserved any of it.”

“When I came to Republic City, it was to undo my father’s mess,” he continued, the anger tainting his voice. “I wanted to be different - I wanted to change this city, _protect_ it…” he trailed off, looking as if he might snarl. “And then that _Avatar_ showed up. Taking all the credit, when I had been slaving away, creeping up the ranks for years in order to gain that position on the council. There is a way these things must be done!”

Tarrlok’s voice rose, and I flinched, reeling back. I was trying to keep my breathing steady, to stimulate my healing, but my heart raced when he yelled like that, when his shoulders tensed. I was ready for him to strike, for him to turn cold and tear me down just out of anger alone.

“I can understand that,” I spoke, slowly, choosing my words with extreme care. I had to make him think I was on his side. “After my mother discovered she was pregnant, my grandmother forced her to move to the South Pole. I grew up there, and all anyone knew about me was that I was a bastard. I was treated differently because of how I was born, because of who my parents were, just like you were with Yakon.”

I chanced a glance at Tarrlok, and his shoulders had relaxed a bit. I breathed easier, continuing with my tale.

“I moved to Republic City, just like you, in order to escape that legacy. In order to forge my own path. I wanted to be different, and I wanted to make a change. My whole life I felt like my destiny had been chosen for me – my grandmother trying to play matchmaker in order to gain me a respectable marriage and restore my family’s honor. Or, even when I _did_ get to choose my own destiny, when I started practicing waterbending – I was always in Korra’s shadow. She was the prodigy, the Avatar – and I was just the bastard child that tagged along.”

I hung my head, willing Tarrlok to fall for my ploy. I didn’t actually consider Korra to be any sort of competition. Sure, when we had trained together, we had competed, but we were evenly matched, and we both excelled beyond many of the other waterbenders our age. We bonded because we were both prodigies, and even if I hadn’t been as good of a waterbender as I actually was… Korra and Katara always acted like I was worthy, unlike my parents. I treasured their companionship during those years more than anything, and I would never forget it.

But Tarrlok didn’t need to know that.

He patted my shoulder – lightly, as if he didn’t want to touch me.

“But you left them, like I did,” he mumbled, nodding as if in approval. I willed myself not to react to it, instead, looking out my window. I watched the fir trees pass by, thick and heavy with snow.

“Yes – and for a similar reason, I guess,” I shrugged, leaning against the window. The cool glass was soothing on my hot forehead, warmed by my healing. “I wanted to make a name for myself. I wanted to be my own person, hone my skills – so I became a pro bender. I know it’s not nearly as impressive as you, since you became a councilman, but it was important to me, that I could stand on my own.”

“I understand,” Tarrlok nodded, but then, he turned to level me with a steely look, testing me. “But, why then, did you fall back in with Korra?”

The question sent chills through me, but I kept the shock from my face, instead shaking my head, thinking fast.

“I had to – she saw me first, and kept talking about old times, and finally being together again – I thought that maybe, if I used her power as leverage, I could gain some powerful allies,” I chuckled, even though it hurt me to, to pretend to be cheerful while I was trapped with this man. “I guess I did, in a way. I gained a father.”

The words felt like poison, but I grinned at Tarrlok, and he smiled back at me, an awkward thing. I wished I could read his body language, but like this, I couldn’t tell if he was so awkward because he didn’t know how to interact with his child, or because he was genuinely uncomfortable, and seething with unshed hatred for me.

“Yes, and I gained a daughter,” Tarrlok chuckled back at me, shaking his head again, in disbelief. “I suppose I made the right decision. When you bloodbent me back at City Hall, I knew you were like me. Motivated – driven.”

He grinned at me, and I managed a strangled smile back at him, feigning a wince in pain and clutching at my head to hide my lack of enthusiasm. My head didn’t hurt anymore, but I was still vulnerable. I couldn’t risk anything, especially since it seemed like he way buying my ruse.

“I’m taking you to Korra now, actually. I have her locked up here. I’m sure that with your help, we can keep her quiet. Once I have control of the council, I’ll be able to pass whatever bill I need, and we can bend the city to our needs. If you crave power, I can provide that, for you.”

I barely managed to stifle my wince with another cry of pain, effectively masking it. Bile rose in my throat at the thought of living like some prized piece of livestock, dressing up in pretty things and traipsing around at Republic City galas, bored out of my mind. I would rather _die_.

“I would like that,” I replied, with a weak smile. Tarrlok grinned back, however his had an edge to it – something sharp, something secret. He was still grinning as he turned towards the road, veering right, off onto the side of the road, parking the car and opening his door. I frowned, confused, as I looked out at the snowy landscape. He just laughed, motioning me to open the door.

“Come on, get out. We’re here.”

I scrunched my eyebrows together. Something didn’t feel right – but nothing ever did, when Tarrlok was concerned. The pit in my stomach was enough to prove that.

I opened my door, jumping out of my side of the car. The wind howled in my ears, cold and unyielding. The snowcapped trees towered in front of me, the road to my back as I scanned the horizon.

“What do you mean we’re here - there’s nothing out here!” I called, waving my arms at a whole bunch of nothing.

I shouldn’t have bothered waiting, when I had opened the door. I shouldn’t have said anything – I should have just run, run as fast as my legs could carry me, like I had wanted to so many other times, while I was trapped in that car.

Because as soon as I turned towards the trees, I felt a cold pressure in my veins, the hairs on the back of my neck raising as I gasped in shock. My limbs were stiff, contracted, no longer in my control, as I floated off the ground, turning slowly until I faced my father.

“Tarr-lok,” I groaned, my eyes wide in fear as I faced him, his eyes sharp, fierce, icy, as he held his hands at an unnatural angle in front of him.

“You- ” he spat at me, his face morphing into a mask of rage, his emotions on full display now. He snapped his elbow towards his body, and my body crumpled in on itself – I tried to control my breathing desperately, to find anything to fight against him. I willed myself to stay calm – to relax against the intrusion, to feel the blood coursing through my body. I knew how to hold myself – how to heal myself. I had broken his hold before, and I could do it again.

“I can’t stand to look at you!” Tarrlok roared, and his eyes betrayed him. He wasn’t just angry – he was terrified. His shoulder shook as he bent me, his eyes unnaturally wide. “You should have never been born!”

He balled his hands into fists, and as he exerted his power, I exhaled, hard, putting all my energy into the movement. Something snapped, and I imagined my hands at my chest, forming a triangle, pressing outward, my hands running from my feet to my forehead, regaining my body, my blood.

I broke free, with a gasp, as I forced his power out of my body.

There was no way I could beat him, no way I could best a bloodbender who had trained under Yakon his entire childhood. I knew that I needed to help Korra, but I was no use to anyone if I was dead –

So I threw myself down the hill. I felt Tarrlok try to grab hold of me again, his bending grazing me, the icy wrongness trying to take hold, but I pulled through, my will stronger than his, as I flew headfirst into the snow, pressing forward with my palm, bending the water within it to turn move under me, to take me further and further down the hill, away from Tarrlok, away from his bloodbending, his grip on my bones.

I slid down the embankment, bending with tired arms, trees flying past me as I tried to control my fall, as Tarrlok shouted behind me, his voice growing fainter as the show fell away underneath me.

Eventually, I couldn’t bend any longer, my arms weak, and stiff from the power, the strain of bloodbending. I barely had enough energy to cushion my impact as I slammed against a tree, losing my breath as the trunk slammed into my back. I coughed, cold, and tired, and weak, as my eyes fluttered closed, unconsciousness overtaking me for the second time that day.

X

“Taro?”

I groaned, but I could only open my eyes a sliver. All I saw was white – so much white, and was that…?

“Naga?” I groaned, lifting my hands to rub my face. They felt like iron, so heavy and unyielding. My fingers floundered as I rubbed my eyes, blinking as the scene came into focus.

“Korra?!” I called louder, my voice cracking. I could see her, slumped over Naga. She sighed, relaxing into the saddle as I replied, Naga running over to nuzzle me in the stomach. I cried out in pain – my entire body feeling so still, so painful.

“Here, c’mon, hop on Naga. We’re getting out of here,” Korra explained, patting at the saddle. I gripped at Naga’s face, trying to lift myself to my feet. It hurt – it burned like nothing else, and my muscles quaked under me, but I balanced against her until I slumped against Korra, and we both groaned, collapsing against the polar bear-dog.

“What happened?” I croaked, confused. “How did you escape Tarrlok?”

“It’s a long story,” Korra replied, her own voice tired and hoarse. “I’ll tell you later, OK?” The she patted Naga, hard on the neck. “Take us home, girl.”

X

The next thing I knew, Korra was stirring against me, and voices were booming around us.

“-ere’s Tarrlok!” Tenzin boomed, and I groaned, trying and failing to lift my head.

“Give them some space!” Mako yelled, and I caught snippets of him lifting Korra into his arms. I made a noise, distraught that Korra had been taken from me after I had waited for so long to find her again. I grabbed helplessly at her, then fell to the saddle again, unable to move, my limbs feeling like lead.

“Taro? Can you walk?” Tenzin asked, and I couldn’t for the life of me tell if it had been a few seconds, or hours since Mako had removed Korra from the saddle.

“Uhhnn,” I mumbled, trying to answer him, but unable to. Tenzin swam in my vision, appearing not as a man, but a mass of orange and yellow.

“Of course she can’t walk! Look at her!” A frantic voice called, and my head lolled to the side. This mass was brownish green, and sounded like-

“Bo-“ I mumbled, as the figure – Bolin - lifted me off of Naga. I could barely make him out, my eyesight fuzzy, my head lolling as he lifted my dead weight. I went limp in his arms, allowing myself to fall once again into the dark, letting unconsciousness overtake me. I was safe, and Korra was safe, and for a brief moment, I could rest.


	17. Turning the Tides - A Troubled Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro recovers from Tarrlok's attempt on her life, and she is faced with the horrible reality of who she is, what she can do - and how her friends might despise her for it. Meanwhile, the equalist threat draws ever closer.

The first thing I felt was pain. Not a normal, searing pain, like a stab or a burn, nor an agonizing pain, like a punch to the stomach or a blow to the back. No, this was somehow worse – an ache that circumnavigated my entire body, starting at my toes and running straight to the tips of my fingers. My limbs felt like they were rooted to the bed I was laid in, stiff and hard, like nothing I had ever felt before. I groaned soft, closing my eyes again, wishing for the sweet release of unconsciousness. At least then, I wouldn’t feel this pain.

“Taro!”

My eyes fluttered open, and as I adjusted to the light, two figures swam into focus. In the background was Asami – concerned, a hand hesitantly outstretched. In the foreground was Bolin, directly by my side, crouching down beside my bed as I blinked, trying to focus on him.

“Ugh,” I groaned, the cogs in my mind turning slowly. I did, however, have the foresight to ask the important questions. “Where am I?” I croaked, my voice hoarse.

“You’re on air temple island,” Asami replied, stepping forward. Bolin brushed a strand of my hair out of my face, and I sighed, thankful, since I couldn’t move my arm to fix my hair myself. “After we found you and Korra wandering the city on Naga, Tenzin said this would be the best place for you.”

It all came flooding back to me – Naga, Korra, _Tarrlok_ – I flinched at the thought. Bolin noticed, drawing closer to me, his hand resting next to my head as I remembered the previous night. This pain I was feeling must be because I had fought against his bloodbending – because I had bent my own body, using all my strength to break Tarrlok’s hold.

“What happened?” Bolin asked, his voice soft as he leaned close to me, raising a hand to touch my shoulder, then thinking better of it, with how much pain I was in. “We were so worried. Tarrlok bloodbent us, and when we woke up…”

“You weren’t there. What happened?” Asami asked. I looked from her, to Bolin. My heart skipped when I looked at him, his eyes so wide, so full of concern. I felt horrible for making them worry.

“Tarrlok took me,” I croaked out, pushing through the pain as I sat up. Everything hurt, and I winced at the stress it put on my stiff muscles, Bolin immediately surging forward to hold me up. The pressure on my shoulders actually helped, and I sighed, allowing him to help me as I sat upright.

I had to think fast. I couldn’t just admit to being a bloodbender – not after Tarrlok had just inflicted the worst possible feeling imaginable upon all of them. Bloodbending was illegal, and if they knew who I was, that I was Tarrlok’s _daughter_ – they might think that I was dangerous too. Or, even worse – that I was working with him. As I gazed into Bolin’s eyes, that was the last thing I would want – for all of them to think that I betrayed them, that I never cared for them. No, I would have to lie.

And, even more than that, I _wanted_ to lie. I felt dirty, and disgusting, just imagining my relation to that horrible, _horrible_ man. My hands felt tainted, my whole being wrong, and disgusting, for bloodbending, even if it was against someone so vile. I never wanted anyone to know – I didn’t want them to think of me as a monster. They were the only friends I had.

“He said he was going to take me to Korra,” I lied, hanging my head so I didn’t have to look Bolin in the eyes. “He said if he had leverage, that Korra would be more willing to do what he said.”

“That’s horrible,” Asami gasped, looking at me with pity. I bit my lip, and I looked away immediately, burning inside at the feeling of lying to her.

“How did you escape?” Bolin asked, his thumb pressing firmer into my shoulder. I breathed, willing myself to steady. I felt his warmth seep into me, and I was equal parts comforted, and disgusted at the comfort I was receiving. I didn’t deserve to feel Asami’s pity, or Bolin’s sympathy. I didn’t deserve any of it – I was _wretched_. But I pushed through it, willing the bile to cease its churning in my stomach. This, too, disgusted me, and I remembered what my breathing exercises really were – they were bloodbending, through and through, when I willed my heart to slow, my blood to calm in my veins. I was no different than that man who called himself my father.

“I threw myself from his Satomobile,” I lied, curling my hands into fists in my sheets. I hated how just my breathing was soothing my wounds, the tightened muscles loosening, no longer quite so stiff as I gripped the sheets tightly.

“I bent the snow under me, slid as far as I could away from him. Korra and Naga found me there.”

“We’re so glad you’re safe,” Asami replied, shooting me a soft smile when I looked up. I couldn’t return it, and I stiffened when Bolin pulled me in for a hug. He was so warm, his arms wrapping around me loosely, so gentle compared to his normal bone-crushing bear hug. I wished I could melt into it, I wished I could hug him back, revel in his warmth, in his kindness, but as I sat there, my muscles tense from fighting Tarrlok’s bloodbending with my own, my muscles only stiff because I bent them that way, it was all I could do to keep myself from being sick.

“I was so worried,” Bolin mumbled, and I felt like screaming. I closed my eyes, biting down hard on my lip, willing myself to stay stiff and still until he pulled away. I didn’t deserve this – I didn’t deserve any of it.

“If you feel up to it, I think that Pema’s making breakfast,” Asami offered, and I could see her shuffle awkwardly as Bolin and I separated, unsure if she should shoot me a knowing smile or not. I was glad she didn’t – I don’t know if I could have stood it if she had.

“Breakfast sounds good,” I mumbled, my voice hoarse and difficult to use.

I hated the idea of it, but I had to keep moving – I had to heal and keep on going. As vile, and horrible as I felt, and as much as I hated my own bending at the moment – this was about so much more than just myself. Korra was hurt too, and only the spirits knew what Amon was planning next. Even though what I had done to Tarrlok made me feel like an alien in my own skin, I had to do this, for Korra. For everyone that I loved – for all my friends.

“Do you need help?” Bolin asked, still close to me, close enough that I could feel his warmth, and the comfort it provided. I had to resist the urge to lean into him, to accept his help.

I did need it. I wanted it – I wanted him to wrap an arm around me, I wanted to lean heavily against him as he helped me slowly down the stairs, I wanted him to tell me that I was brave, and strong, and that he admired me –

But I didn’t deserve it. It was wrong, to take advantage of him like that.

“No, I’m fine,” I assured him, hating the way his face fell, how he drew back. Even the nod he offered me was sad, somehow.

I breathed heavily, raising my arms along my sides, starting from my hips, and moving upwards, before I pushed out at my shoulders, forming a triangle.

The response from my body was immediate. Although my arms screamed as I performed the first movement - as I pressed out - the ache eased dramatically, and I breathed deeper, easier. I pressed again, and again – and then, when I stood, I only wobbled for a moment. It was difficult, as my blood flow hadn’t completely returned to normal in the muscles of my lower legs, but I refused to offer myself the comfort of my friends’ assistance. I leaned against the wall as I stood, Bolin and Asami watching, Asami moving towards me for just a moment before I waved her off.

“I’ve got this,” I assured them, stepping forward slowly, testing my weight, before I continued. It hurt – it hurt like nothing I had ever felt before, my calves feeling as if a thousand knives were pressing into them constantly – but it was only what I deserved.

I could feel the eyes on me as I sat for breakfast, as I forced my legs to bend, manipulating them with my hands as Asami held Bolin back from helping me. After we were seated, it wasn’t long until Korra and Mako emerged as well. Korra was walking fine on her own two feet, not stumbling once, even though she looked incredibly tired. She sat down at the head of the table, with Mako to her left. I could practically feel the tension radiate from Asami and Mako, and I understood clearly why Asami had been in _my_ room, and not Korra’s.

“Hey, Taro,” Korra said, laying her hand on mine as she sat down. I offered her a small, tired smile, and she retuned it. I felt horrible acting like her friend, after what I knew. Tarrlok had forced her into his Amon taskforce – he had bloodbent her, and kidnapped her – and I bore part of the blame for his actions. I felt as if I were some sort of traitor, as her skin met mine, but I tried to pull myself together. I was pushing forward for _her_. To be by her side as she took on Amon. I couldn’t let anything get in the way – whether it be my feelings, or my blood. Korra was more important, the fate of Republic City was more important.

“Hey, Korra. How are you feeling?” I asked, leaning heavily against the table. My legs felt restless under me, as my muscles finally relaxed, starting to decompress from the stiff, hardened state they had been left in.

“A little beat up, but mostly just tired,” she admitted, shrugging. I saw Mako sigh in relief as she relayed this information to me, and I tried not to shake my head. This boy was so obviously in love with her – it hurt me to see it.

“That’s good. I’m glad you’re OK,” I replied, because I was.

“What about you? You looked pretty beat up when I found you last night,” Korra asked, concern creeping into her expression. I shrugged, trying to minimize it, even as I felt Bolin’s eyes boring into the side of my head.

“I’m feeling better now that I’ve had some rest. Hopefully I’ll feel even better with some food in me, maybe a trip to a healing bath later,” I replied. I heard Bolin huff something indignant, but I didn’t spare him a glance. I didn’t want to see his face as I lied to it.

“Oh man, you’re right about that,” Korra admitted, and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled. “I’m starving!”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I made enough for everyone,” Pema commented, ducking her head out from the kitchen. She strode towards the table, with Tenzin in tow, both of them setting plate upon plate of food on the table.

I had just been bluffing before, when I had mentioned food making me feel better, but as Pema set the breakfast spread down, my eyes went wide. The food looked wonderful – and I grabbed a few choice pieces for myself, including a fried egg that was the most beautiful looking thing I had ever seen.

We ate in silence for the most part, which was concerning, considering the amount of food both Korra and I consumed, shoving it down as fast as we could. Truth be told, none of our party really had food for the better part of the past day – what with our prison break, then our run in with the equalists, and finally, my capture by Tarrlok, and the rest of our team’s subsequent bloodbending-induced nap.

By the time we were halfway through, Korra made a pleased noise, nodding at Pema.

“This breakfast is wonderful, Pema. Thank you,” she said, and I quickly remembered my manners as well.

“Yeah, thank you so much,” I added, because I felt even more horrible eating it, knowing what I had been through.

“We’re just thankful you’re home safe,” Pema replied, standing up from her own breakfast to gather some of the finished plates we had already scarfed down like rabid animals.

“Let me help,” Asami supplied, assisting in the collection as she stood as well, both of them gathering armfuls before returning to the kitchen. Then, Tenzin spoke.

“Korra, Taro. I know you two have been through a lot, but I need to know exactly what happened,” he said, staring at us firm. I almost felt trapped, like somehow he and Beifong, who sat next to him, could see through every lie I could spin.

“Well, first of all,” Korra began, saving me from my own anxiety, “Tarrlok isn’t who he says he is. He’s Yakon’s son.”

Beifong and Tenzin gasped, looking at each other, before staring back at us. I bit my lip, concerned. How had Korra known that – how much did she know? She couldn’t know about me, right? If she did, she would have never been so friendly to me at breakfast, she would have never saved me in the first place, right?

“It all makes sense now,” Tenzin mumbled, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“That must have been how Tarrlok was able to bloodbend us without a full moon,” Beifong added, shooting Tenzin a concerned look.

“But that doesn’t answer everything – Taro, why did he kidnap you as well, if he already had Korra?” Tenzin leveled the question at me, but before I could open my mouth, Bolin answered.

“He told Taro that he was going to use her as some sort of bargaining chip for Korra – a reason for her to do as he said,” Bolin explained, and I cringed at the sound of it, sinking further in when Korra looked at me in shock.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry, Taro,” Korra said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I simply hung my head, wishing desperately that I could just shrug it off.

“If that was the case, how did you both escape?” Tenzin pressed, and I sighed.

“I jumped out of the Satomobile when Tarrlok wasn’t paying attention, and I bent myself down the hill until I ran into a tree,” I mumbled, the explanation not even making sense to my own ears, as the vision played over and over in my mind, of Tarrlok bending me, of the crazed look in his eye as he told me I should have never been born.

He was right, I thought, biting my lip as I looked down. I wasn’t meant to be here. I was a bloodbender – a monster. Maybe I should have let him kill me there – or, maybe Amon should have taken my bending back then, at the arena. I almost wished he had, so I didn’t have to deal with this curse.

“And Tarrlok?” Tenzin asked, and Korra sighed, her shoulders tensing.

“Amon captured him,” she started, and I sat bolt upright, my eyes wide. “Amon and the equalists stormed the cabin where he was keeping me. They captured Tarrlok, but I managed to escape. I think – I think they took his bending.”

It shot through me like a bolt of lightning. Tarrlok had been captured by the equalists, his bending removed as he tried to desperately to remain in control of the city… I shook my head, pressing my fingers to my temples and rubbing. This was all too much, too fast, too soon. I could hardly comprehend it.

“This is very disturbing news,” Tenzin replied, looking downward, Beifong mimicking his position as well. “Taking down a councilman, and almost capturing the Avatar… I fear Amon may be entering his endgame.”

I bit my lip, fear creeping into my veins. How could I ever hope of helping Korra and the others take down Amon, if I couldn’t even defeat _Tarrlok_? Tarrlok, the man that Amon apparently captured and equalized with no problem?

When I lifted my eyes, I could see it in their faces that my friends were worried as well, fearful of what was to come. This was a far cry from the happy-go-lucky team that had patrolled the streets, looking to pick fights with equalists. It was like every single time we tried to get a jump on Amon, or regain a sense of agency in this fight, that he always managed to rip it away right as we were getting comfortable.

The conversation lulled after that, all of us concerned with our own thoughts, as the impending attacks loomed over our heads. If Amon was planning something, there was only so much we could do. And if he could take down a fully trained bloodbender, he had to be immensely powerful. I pushed my food around my plate, no longer hungry.

As breakfast dragged on, I could practically cut the awkwardness in the air with a knife. Something had happened when Mako had headed back to the kitchen for more hot water, and I could see the raw irritation on Asami’s face, as she crossed her arms and pointedly sat next to Bolin as everyone finished their food. Mako looked pissed as well – in his own, quiet, Mako way, of course. And that wasn’t even counting the way Bolin’s eyes bored into my skull. It pained me, every time I looked at him, because his eyebrows were constantly scrunched together, a tiny pout on his lips. It felt as if he were pitying me, worrying over me like I was broken or something.

I wasn’t. I was determined. By the time we all finished breakfast, I was feeling stronger. My blood was flowing again, and I didn’t wobble as I stood. Plus, my head was clear. It was as if what Tenzin said had notched everything perfectly into place. Amon was planning his final attack on Republic City, and I had to be focused on that. I couldn’t dwell on how I did or didn’t feel about my father, or my bloodbending. I couldn’t bother fawning over Bolin. I could only focus on two things – training, and beating Amon, no matter what it took.

“Hey, Korra,” I asked, since she was the only member of our little gang that wasn’t either engaged in a lover’s quarrel, or currently staring at me like I was a wounded animal. “Wanna train in the courtyard?”

“You should be in bed!“

“Korra should be resting.”

Bolin and Mako spoke at the same time, Mako urging Korra to rest, while Bolin cried out that I needed to go back to bed. I closed my eyes, and Korra laughed, shaking her head at Mako.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she assured him, rolling her shoulders as she stood from the table. “Besides, Taro’s right. We’ll need all the practice we can get if Amon’s on the rise again.”

“Exactly,” I agreed, purposefully avoiding Bolin’s gaze. “We need to be ready.”

Korra grinned at me, grabbing my arm to escort me out of the dining hall. I didn’t smile back, but I did breathe a sigh of relief as I left the tense air of the room. Korra was like a breath of fresh air, determined, motivated. She didn’t seem nearly as torn up about what we had just been through – although, I suppose _her_ dad hadn’t tried to kill her.

“Follow me – there’s a little pond behind the men’s dormitory that’ll be perfect,” she mentioned, and I nodded. My motions still felt stiff, as we made our way there, reminding me of what had been done to me – and what I had done, in return.

Korra make a triumphant noise as we reached the pond, hopping on one foot as she stripped out of her shoes and ran into the water. That, at least, drew a tiny smile out of me as I toed out of my own boots and rolled up my pants.

Korra grinned as she faced me, stepping into a well-practiced stance and circling her arms, drawing a stream of water from the pond and forming a sphere with it.

“It’s like old times,” she laughed, as I tried to step into the pond and flinched at the cold water. I had been in Republic City for so long that I had lost some of my tolerance for the cold.

“I feel like you say that a lot,” I replied, forcing a smile onto my face. I was happy to train with her, I really was, but with so much going on, it was hard for me to clutch at that small sliver of joy.

“I guess it’s just nice to have you back, after all this time,” Korra replied, streaming the water towards me. I caught it easily, swirling it behind me before sending it back – a warm up form that we had practiced nearly every day as kids. “A familiar face in all this mess.”

I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I dragged the water around my form.

“I still feel like we’re not ready to go up against Amon – that there’s so much we need to practice, so much more we could learn –“

“Yeah, you said it,” Korra grumbled, frowning as she strengthened her stance. “I still can’t even airbend! And I know we have each other, but…”

“That’s not always enough,” I mumbled, the words making me feel weak. It felt like forever ago when I had hugged Bolin in Asami’s pool, and he had promised that we would all take on Amon together. But what if we couldn’t? I had been alone when I faced Amon, and alone once again when I faced my father. I loved my friends, and I knew they were strong… but there were some battles where that wasn’t enough. Where _they_ weren’t enough, as hard as it was to admit that. 

I gazed at Korra, at her confidence, her strong shoulders, her set jaw. She was tough, but Tarrlok had still bloodbent her. Even Korra, with all her strengths, with all her training and power, had been taken down by Tarrlok, who had been bested by Amon in mere seconds. That man – he had power beyond anything I could imagine. The weight settled heavy on my shoulders, the weight of protecting my friend, of doing anything I had to. It settled heavy in my stomach, as I realized that there was only one thing that could possibly stop Amon. I would have to bloodbend him. And, as much as it sickened me, as much as it made my stomach churn – I would do it in an instant, if it meant saving Korra.

“That’s not true,” Korra replied, stubborn, as usual. “We’re still stronger together. We have to look out for each other, especially now. Amon wants us to be alone, and afraid – we’re easier to take on, that way.”

I groaned, gritting my teeth and setting myself lower in my stance, gathering more power as I pushed and pulled the water.

“I know, I just-“ I shook my head, losing control of the flow for a moment before I pulled myself back, willing my breathing to slow. “I feel like everything’s falling apart. And I’m not strong enough for this fight.”

“Taro, you’re one of the strongest waterbenders I know,” Korra replied, with a little crooked smile on her face. It didn’t do anything to quell my turmoil.

“That’s the problem,” I said, clenching my fists. The water hardened to ice in my grasp, plummeting to the pond with a splash as I faced Korra. “I _know_ that I’m a strong bender. I’ve memorized every form, I’ve practiced all of them, I’ve won sparring matches, I’ve learned pro bending style, I’ve implemented other bending styles into my own - and it still hasn’t been enough!”

I threw my hands out, and the water around me responded, surging upwards and splashing down as I struggled to control myself.

“It’s not enough! I can’t protect anyone like this – what’s the point of having friends if you can’t protect them!”

I yelled it, pressing my face into my hands, willing myself to calm down. Korra didn’t need to see or hear this – I didn’t need to be saying it in the first place. It didn’t matter – no matter what I felt, Amon was going to attack anyway, and I was playing into just what he wanted, like Korra had said –

A gentle hand on my shoulder snapped me out of it, and I looked up slowly. Korra was looking at me, a sad smile on her face.

“I know – I know.” She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and gathering herself. I had never seen her shoulders shake like that, I had never seen her so broken up as she looked at me, her gaze wavering against mine, as we both conveyed some deeper meaning through it – some mutual understanding, some binding force.

I opened my mouth to reply, to say something – but before I could, a huge crash sounded. I gasped, staring off towards the city, and my eyes widened. No, it couldn’t be – not this soon –

“Airships!” Korra yelled, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the common area. I barely had time to grab my boots and throw them on, tripping over my own feet as we ran.

We met up the with the others on the way there – Mako, Asami, and even Bolin, all looked distressed, and I tried to pull myself together as we surged towards Beifong.

“We heard explosions – what’s going on?” Korra asked, her voice trembling.

“Republic City is under attack,” Beifong replied, her expression grim. I gasped, looking over her shoulder at the fleet of airships now surrounding the city. My jaw dropped, and so did my spirits. Whether I liked it or not, the equalists were attacking, and they were doing it _now_.


	18. Turning the Tides - A Constant Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro and the rest of the Krew race to rescue Tenzin and the rest of the airbenders, before making a calculated retreat as the equalists attack Republic City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly, this reads like filler and it's definitely not my favorite chapter, but i hope you all enjoy it anyway!

“We have to go help!” Asami yelled, already headed towards one of the boats docked at air temple island. I rushed after her – I may have been terrified, but I also knew that my friends needed me – my city needed me. I wasn’t going to stand idly by and let this happen.

We all scrambled onto the boat, sailing it to shore in record time, what with Korra and I basically turning it into a torpedo with our waterbending. I was panting by the time we docked, sprinting to keep up with the others as Asami searched for her car.

It was, of course, parked (or more like crashed) into a lamp post, a slew of parking tickets on the windshield. I sighed. Typical Korra.

“All things considered, you did a great job!” Bolin complimented, always trying to stay positive. “But… how are we gonna pay for all these parking tickets?” He picked them up, looking at them quizzically. I couldn’t help it – my lips quirked into a tiny smile at his question.

That smile only grew when Mako grabbed the tickets and burst them into flames, Bolin gasping comically as the embers fell to the ground. I even chuckled a little at his expression. Maybe it was because we were all going to load back into the Satomobile, like the good times, but my heart felt a little lighter, even as my stomach still churned.

“The city’s under attack,” Mako explained, wiping the burnt bits from his fingerless gloves. “The police will have more important things to worry about besides traffic tickets.”

Bolin pouted, a little exaggerated as everyone prepared to load into the car. He caught my little grin, and his pout immediately turned into a much broader smile as he saw me. I chuckled a little, turning away. Spirits, I needed to focus, and _not_ on Bolin.

“Taro!” Asami called for me, a bit of an edge in her voice. She had already retrieved her glove from the trunk, flexing her fingers to adjust it on her hand. “Why don’t you ride shotgun this time?”

My grin faded, and I raised an eyebrow, but with Mako’s downcast face, I knew exactly why Asami was asking this of me. And I readily accepted. It would be far easier for me to forget about Bolin and my stupid crush if I was as far away from him as possible.

“Sure!” I replied, with a curt nod. The tension between her and Mako made me nervous – one of the reasons why I refused to pursue any sort of relationship until this was over. It concerned me, how angry she was at Mako, and how indignant Mako seemed. We needed to be a _team_ , not a dissonant group of exes.

I slid into the front seat, and everyone else piled into the back, Mako pressed into the middle with Korra on his left side. I could see in the mirror how Mako spread out, wrapping his arms around the headrests of both Bolin and Korra’s seats. Asami must have noticed as well, because she huffed beside me, glaring at the road.

As we sped off, my worry grew, as the brief familiarity of the Satomobile wore off. We weren’t here to cruise around town, have fun, and eat some dumplings, as the explosions still boomed overhead. No – the city was crumbling around us, and I had to stay focused.

The wind whipped against my face especially hard in the front seat, and Asami looked as determined as ever as she drove, her brows furrowed as her hair whipped behind her. We were here for a purpose, and that was to protect the city. And that purpose became even more prominent as we turned the next corner.

A half dozen mechanical robots surrounded the police headquarters. I couldn’t make out much, but I thought I saw a flash of yellow-orange at the far end of the building, being loaded into a transport. That had to be Tenzin – we had to _move_.

“Bolin, Korra, I need a ramp! Be prepared to jump!” she yelled over the roar of the wind, and I nodded, bracing myself.

“Now!” she yelled, as we approached the mecha tanks at an alarming rate. I bailed as soon as Bolin and Korra formed the ramps, throwing myself from the Satomobile and into the street. I rolled hard on my shoulder, using my forward momentum to my advantage as I jumped up immediately afterwards, crouching into a low stance and surveying my surroundings.

The Satomobile may have crashed into one of them, destroying both the vehicle and the robot as it fell, but that was only _one_ of them. There were six more headed towards us, and they looked as angry as faceless mecha tanks could.

We jumped into action, Korra and I both pulling water from the snow drifts as we surged towards the mechs. We split off, and as she teamed up with Bolin to take on one, I faced another, and Mako a third. It was terrifying, but in a different way from the fear I experienced in front of Tarrlok, or Amon. This fear was something I knew well, and it didn’t twist into something venomous in my stomach. This was something different, my instincts kicking in and plunging me into high alert, every nerve on fire as I ducked one of the mech’s arms. It crunched into the pavement behind me, and I scowled as I surged forward, using the water to deflect its other arm when it shot at me. I jumped over it, breathing out and springing upwards. When I landed, I dropped to my knees, slamming my hands together to push the water forwards as turn it to steam. The person operating the mech had no idea what was coming.

I breathed in, and the mist moved with me, and on my exhale, it funneled into the mech, seeping through the tiniest cracks between the metal. I rolled back on my heels, standing up and sinking low into a horse stance, my jaw set in concentration as I shifted my feet and readied my hands. Once the mist was completely inside, I set my shoulders, my stance stiff and strong, and I formed fists, pushing outwards.

The steam hardened into ice, expanding as I funneled it into the legs of the machine, until I flexed my fingers outward and in again, liquifying and reforming the ice until it popped loud, the screws flying from the sheet metal as the mech collapsed in on itself, and I finally got to rest, panting hard as I keeled over, holding my knees because of the effort.

I looked up, and Mako’s mech was down, as was Korra’s. We were _winning_. It wasn’t much, but we were still taking on these massive machines and putting up a fight. Maybe we _could_ do this.

Asami managed to rescue Tenzin from the equalists, and we worked on the remaining three mechs, Tenzin and Mako throwing one into a nearby roof, while Korra and Bolin hurled rocks at another. I was on my own for the last one, and I glared it down. I needed more water – and the only snow close by was piled up behind the mech. I gritted my teeth, but I knew I would have to get to that water in order to inflict any damage at all.

I waited for it to move, and once it launched its first claw, I ducked, rolling forward and springing onto my feet, trying to make it to the snow before the mech could attack me again.

I slid to the snow, just in time, catching myself with my hands as the mech turned around, igniting its electrical charge and shooting a claw at me. I ducked forward, bending on my front knee as I swung my arms upward, the snow turning to water at my command and engulfing the claw, then up the mech’s arm, and straight to its chest. It convulsed, before falling still, and I chuckled low. Electricity wasn’t much of a weapon when waterbending was involved.

The last mechs had fallen, thanks to the rest of the party, and as I dusted myself off, I slapped on a lazy grin as I joined my friends, the adrenaline still surging through my veins.

“Are you alright?” Korra asked Tenzin, as I approached.

“I’m fine,” he assured her, still hunched over from whatever attack he sustained, but looking active and alert. “Thank you all – another moment later and I would have been on my way to Amon.”

I shuddered at the thought. Tenzin and the other airbenders were the last of their kind – they were just as precious as Korra and her bending, if not more so.

“Uh, guys?” Bolin called, a nervous flutter in his voice. I turned, already feeling dread creep into me, and as he pointed towards air temple island, the surge of happiness from our previous victory was sucked out of me.

An equalist airship was descending onto air temple island. And we were the idiots that had left it basically unattended.

“Oh no,” Tenzin breathed, and I could feel his tension from where I stood. I shook my head to clear it, stepping forward.

“We have to get back there as soon as possible!” I yelled, my voice wavering.

“Everybody back to the Satomobile!” Asami cried, pointing towards the car.

“No, we’ll take Oogi! It’ll be quicker that way,” Tenzin suggested instead. We all piled onto the sky bison, and I gripped the saddle, white knuckled as I fixed my gaze on the island in the distance.

Luckily, the trip didn’t take long, with Tenzin urging the bison to fly faster, and the rest of us holding on for dear life. When we descended, Tenzin was the first off the bison, the rest of us following quickly behind

“Is everyone alright?” Tenzin asked, looking around at his children. Meelo grinned, jumping into his dad’s arms.

“Don’t worry! We got the bad guys,” he said, gesturing towards a line of tied up equalists. I raised my eyebrows in shock – and in admiration. We had been terrified – but it seemed like it was all for naught. Looks like we had all underestimated the power of the airbending kids. I was impressed.

“You let them fight?” Tenzin yelled, directing his irritation towards Beifong. She shrugged.

“I would have been toast if it weren’t for your kids,” Beifong replied, with a hand on her hip, even though her eyes were soft, grateful. “You should be proud – you taught them well.”

Tenzin took a moment to look at his kids, and I found myself smiling along with him. They all hung off of him, Jinora and Ikki grabbing at his legs, while Meelo grabbed onto his shoulders, holding tight. Even as Tenzin surveyed them with worry, it was out of a place of love. And I admired that. He was a good father to them – he truly loved them, even if he _was_ a little overprotective.

“Come on now. Go, be with your wife,” Beifong encouraged Tenzin, gesturing towards the main building, where Tenzin and Pema had their quarters. He nodded at her, rushing towards the building, the kids in tow, and I could only breathe deeply as they left. That was a family – a happy family. I was glad that Amon hadn’t taken that from them.

“Is everything alright here?” I asked, once Tenzin had taken off. “Nobody was hurt?”

“No,” Beifong replied, with a thankful nod. “But, Pema _did_ go into labor.”

The rest of us gasped, astounded by the new information.

“She’s likely given birth, at this point,” Beifong reasoned, with a nod. “I think that I would like to go see the family, now that everything had calmed down here, if you all will join me.”

“We’d love to,” Korra responded, and Mako nodded. But, I wasn’t so sure,

“Actually, I think I’ll stay here,” I replied, staring out at Republic City. There was movement among the airships, and I didn’t like it. “Keep watch as you all say your congratulations.”

“Me too,” Bolin nodded, stepping up beside me. When I looked up at him, he was just as determined. “Somebody has to keep a watch. I don’t like the looks of things out there.”

“I’ll stay too,” Asami rounded out our group, pulling away from Mako and Korra. Mako turned away from her quickly, likely ascertaining why she was staying behind. “You all go ahead.”

“Alright,” Beifong mumbled, leading Korra and Mako off, even as some of the airships turned towards the island.

“Hey!” I yelled, as they retreated, cupping my hands around my mouth. “Tell Tenzin and his family to get ready to leave! I think the airships are headed this way!” I called, and Korra turned, throwing me a thumbs up as the ran with Beifong and Mako to the building. I stood by Bolin and Asami, watching the airships glide towards us.

“I can’t believe my father would build things so horrible, for Amon to use,” Asami grumbled, and my heart twinged, thinking of all the horrible things my father had done, with his own special skills. “All those people…”

“Don’t worry,” Bolin reassured her. “We’ll get Tenzin and his family out of here.”

“But why should we have to?” Asami replied, her hands balled into fists. “This is their home – why would my father want to take that away from them… it’s like he isn’t even the man who raised me.”

I heard the waver in Asami’s voice. Her eyes were fixed at the sky, and filled with rage – but I saw behind them. There was sadness too, sadness at a betrayal she had never expected.

And I knew that what had happened to me wasn’t the same. I had never loved my father – had never known him, my whole life. In a way, that provided me some relief – I had never expected my father to love me, or care for others, since he had left me and my mother to rot, and disgraced our family – in more ways than one, it seems, as I remembered Yakon’s curse of bloodbending.

But I still understood the pain in Asami’s eyes. I reached down and took her hand – I was never good at comfort, but I felt like I needed to try, as I squeezed it firm, and Asami looked at me, confused.

“You are not your father,” I breathed, determined, and Asami blinked at the ferocity in my voice. “There’s no excuse for what he did – for what he continues to do – but we can make it right. We can stop this.”

Asami squeezed my hand back, and nodded. I caught a glimpse of Bolin in the corner of my eye – his expression was unreadable, some mixture of shock and admiration as I finally dropped my hand away from Asami’s, our heads turning to the sound of running feet, as Tenzin, Korra, Mako, and Beifong all sprinted towards us.

“What do you want to do, Tenzin?” Korra asked, as they neared the courtyard, Tenzin’s eyes never leaving the skyline.

“I have to protect my family,” he replied, with no hesitation in his voice. “And get them as far away from this conflict as possible. If Amon got his hands on my children,” Tenzin paused, closing his eyes as he willed himself not to consider the possibility too deeply. “I hate to even think of it.”

“If you’re leaving,” Beifong interjected. “Then I’m going with you,” she added, her jaw set, and her eyes steely.

“But-“ Tenzin tried to argue. But Beifong cut him off with a well placed hand.

“No arguments,” Beifong replied, her voice firm, and her chin held high. “Your family are the last airbenders. There’s no way in the world I’m letting Amon take your bending away.”

Tenzin waited a moment, taking in what she had said, before he nodded.

“Thank you, Lin,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion, even though he knew he couldn’t express all of it. Then, he turned to Korra, his expression grim. “Korra – leave this island and hide, for the time being.”

Korra looked at Tenzin like he was crazy, and my jaw fell open. What?

“I’m not giving up!” Korra replied, indignant. Tenzin shook his head.

“I’m not asking you to,” he replied. “I sent word to the United Forces. They’ll be here soon – and once my family is safe, I will return,” he promised. “With those reinforcements, we can turn the tide in this war.”

“So, what you’re saying is…” Korra’s shoulder’s sagged, and she sighed, her eyes downcast. “…we need to be patient,” she groaned, and Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re learning well,” he replied, his voice soft, as Korra looked up at him with wide eyes, hopeful. I had to turn away. It didn’t feel like something I should be seeing.

We gathered everything for the airbenders to leave, and we worked quickly and silently. I felt awkward, but I knew that this was needed for their survival, and the continuation of their legacy and tradition. Korra said her goodbyes, and we waved them off, their group leaving on multiple sky bison. We waved, before taking on our own escape.

It felt cowardly, but I knew that it had to be done. There were far too many equalists for just the miniscule team Avatar to take on alone. We would have to wait and regroup, no matter how much it pained me to do so.

But, we didn’t have much choice. As we stood there, prepared to run, one of the airships finally reached the island, securing itself with a tether to the earth that kicked up rock and made me reel back, with how close the anchor was to my own feet.

“Go!”

Members of the White Lotus encircled the anchor, waving us off, and Korra nodded at them.

“Everyone on Naga!” she cried. I scrunched my eyebrows together in worry.

“Will we all fit?” I asked, concerned. Korra shot me back a look that told me everything I needed to know – it told me of her worry, her fear, the hatred that we had to run away like this.

“We’ll have to,” she replied, scrambling onto the polar bear-dog. Only three people could fit on the saddle, and Asami and I were forced to instead hold on to whatever we could. For Asami, that was my waist, and for me, I carefully avoided grabbing onto Bolin, instead holding onto the saddle. It wasn’t the safest choice, but I needed to stay focused.

“Go, Naga!” Korra called, and she took off. And I maybe questioned my choices as I was almost thrown from her in her first surge forward.

“Whoa!” I yelled, losing my grip. I plastered myself to Bolin’s back, wrapping my arms around his ribs, my face slamming into his neck as Naga’s gait threw me forward. Asami pressed into my back, only plastering me further against Bolin as we held on for dear life. I’m sure I would be blushing and flustered about it, if it weren’t for the equalists currently descending from the skies to try and skill us.

“Mustache guy!” Bolin yelled, pointing at the equalist with the two batons that had plagued us as we fought the equalists. I gasped, waiting for the worst –

Until Naga threw herself into the air, swatting him with a huge paw, rendering him useless. We all whooped, and I even yelled praise for the good girl.

We soared to the edge of air temple island, and Korra yelled back to me –

“We’re gonna have to make a bubble around Naga! Help me out!” she asked, and I shouted back an affirmative. When Naga threw herself off of the pier, I helped gather the water around her, freeing her legs so that she could paddle us forward as we escaped.

When we finally surfaced, it was near a sewage pipe in the side of the city. I groaned at the smell, but still helped everyone up and onto the ledge with my water bending. Korra gazed out across the bay, and I followed her line of sight, to the airships in the distance.

“Korra, we should get moving,” Mako suggested, a hand on her shoulder. Korra looked so broken down, and I didn’t blame her. I felt like crap. Not only had I lost against Amon, and Tarrlok – now I had lost against the equalists too. We were cowards, in hiding, and I knew exactly what Korra felt like.

And what made it worse, was how Bolin shot me a glance, and looked away immediately afterwards, his hand in Naga’s fur as he led the animals down the tunnel. I crossed my arms, wrapping myself tight in them and sighing, trying to regain my composure. We were at war now – and that was the only thing that mattered.


	19. Skeletons in the Closet - The Bright Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team Avatar hides out in the tunnels underneath the city, Taro struggles with her rage, as well as her relationship with Bolin, as he worries over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i won't be available to update tomorrow, so - early update! enjoy!

“I know that Korra’s all set on this ‘being patient’ thing,” I grumbled, crossing my arms, “but spirits, I wish I could go up there right now and just-“

I mimed ripping somebody’s head off, and Asami giggled at me from her spot next to me. We were currently underground, in Republic City’s network of tunnels, hiding with the rest of the homeless population. It seemed that Amon either didn’t know about the ragtag groups of homeless benders that made their home below the city, or simply didn’t consider them important enough to worry about equalizing with his first wave of attacks.

So, I was sitting on a box that probably used to hold fruit at some point, Asami next to me, giggling at my irritation. Bolin sat to my other side, but instead of amusement, his face held a small amount of worry on it – and it had since we first retreated underground.

I did understand it, in some part of the back of my mind, that his concern had merit. As soon as we had taken to the tunnels, my mood had soured and hadn’t recovered. Where before I felt motivated, somewhat distracted, but still normal, that was now replaced with white hot rage. Rage at Amon for taking my city from me, rage at myself for not being able to stop him. Every night since, I had fallen asleep, contemplating what would happen if I slunk away in the night, if I tried to find Amon myself and end things with my bloodbending. I didn’t even know if it would be possible – I had only just figured out that the technique I had been using all these years to heal myself could also be used to harm, and I had only ever used it once, in the heat of the moment. Amon was stronger than any man I had ever met, but even if I didn’t manage to defeat him… would that be so bad? If I lost my bending? Wouldn’t it be the noble thing to do, for me to sacrifice myself for Korra, since my bending was foul, born of power hungry criminals who only wanted to bend others to their will? Would it somehow purify me, and my family line, if I was finally rid of the curse of Yakon?

The only reason why I stayed put was because of my friends – because of Korra, ironically. I wasn’t guaranteed to be able to defeat Amon on my own, but maybe if I stayed close by Korra, I could use my skills to protect her from Amon, and protect the others as well.

But it didn’t mean I was happy about it. I had been in a dark mood for days now, and while Asami tried to pass off some of my more venomous sentiments as jokes, Bolin just looked at me like I had grown two heads. He used to look at me like a friend – he used to smile at me, or, if he was irritated, put on some over exaggerated face because I had teased him too much. But whatever face he was wearing right now – it was sad, almost achingly so. I didn’t want to look at it, and it pained me to know that I caused it. It pained me even more to know that I couldn’t change it, because this was about so much more than just my stupid crush on him.

I had to put it aside. If it was a choice between Korra’s bending and Bolin’s happiness… I would have to choose Korra. Not just for my own sake, but for the sake of the world.

“Come on, Taro,” Asami smiled soft, pressing a gentle hand to my shoulder. “I’m sure the United Forces should be here any day now. Then, the equalists will get what’s coming to them.” She grinned, punching her own palm, and I managed a small, weak, smile for her.

“Yeah! So no more moping,” Bolin demanded, pointing a finger at the both of us, even though I knew the jab was mostly directed towards me. “I mean, we’re gotta wait things out a little longer, so why not have some fun with it. Asami, you know what I’m talking about!”

Bolin gestured towards her, his smile bright as he waggled his fingers at her. She laughed, covering her mouth, and something in my stomach flipped. That she could make him smile now, but I couldn’t. It just made me fall further into my own spiral.

“Show us what you’ve got, Bolin,” Asami replied, trying to wrap an arm around me, willing me to at least try to be happy. And when Bolin looked at me expectantly – hopefully, with worry still prominent behind his eyes – I tried to manage at least a half smile for him.

“Awesome! I’ve been trying to teach Pabu this new move, and I think I’ve almost got it. Watch this!”

Bolin held a small piece of string above Pabu’s head, and the fire ferret automatically glanced up at it, rearing back on his hind legs to try and swat at it.

“OK, Pabu, now, like we practiced – twirl!” Bolin smiled so hard as he twirled the piece of twine, and Pabu followed, balancing on his hind legs as he did a tiny circle to follow Bolin’s command. I felt my face relax a little at Pabu’s tiny chitter as he tried to grab at the string.

“And, up!” Bolin pulled the string up, and Pabu sat down, then jumped so high into the air, flipping in the middle before landing on his feet. Asami cheered, laughing as she pulled me closer, and even I grinned, genuinely this time, and the light that shone in Bolin’s eyes made my heart hurt.

The moment shattered instantly, as Pabu squeaked and scampered off – heading straight towards Korra and Mako. Asami’s arm stiffened around my shoulders, and my face fell, turning to stone as they approached.

We stood up, taking the few quick steps to meet them, Bolin bending down to retrieve Pabu from the ground as we met out friends. Korra and Mako had been gone since early this morning, and I was anxious to hear what they had found.

“You two were gone for a while,” Asami mumbled, crossing her arms as she popped her hip. I grimaced at her words, and my mood only worsened when Mako replied.

“We were doing reconnaissance,” he spat, glaring daggers at Asami. I frowned, hard. Their relationship had clearly taken a turn for the worst, but I thought Mako had more common sense than this. He was acting like a child – Asami had a right to be mad at him. It was his responsibility to stay faithful in a relationship, to speak clearly and cleanly. I wasn’t the biggest fan of how Asami kept instigating things, but I couldn’t blame her. Mako kept egging her on instead of trying to fix things. I just didn’t understand it.

“Whatever,” Asami grumbled, turning away from him. Korra looked more confused than she normally did, and I sighed, my shoulders sinking low. Team Avatar was a wreck, wasn’t it?

“Welcome back!”

Gommu, our kind host, decided that now was an appropriate time to pop in and disrupt the conversation, and even if he was completely oblivious to the foul mood that was sinking its teeth into our party… I was glad he had interrupted.

“I hope you worked up an appetite,” he continued, shuffling between Korra and Mako to wrap his arms around their shoulders. “Because dinner is served!”

X

Dinner looked kind of suspicious. I raised an eyebrow at the stew as it swirled in Gommu’s pot. We had been living off of scraps for the past few days, so I was starving, but I still stared at the gruel ominously as Gommu poured it into chipped bowls.

“Thanks so much for letting us hide out with you for the past few days,” Korra smiled, taking a dish from him and passing it to Mako, before taking her own.

“Honored to oblige!” Gommu replied, with a quirky nod, as he filled a bowl for Bolin, who passed it to me. I tried my best to avoid brushing my fingers against his as I nodded stiffly, accepting the cup as Gommu offered Bolin a cup of his own.

“My associates and I heartily oppose Amon’s so-called ‘equalist’ policies. Look at us,” he gestured widely as Bolin accepted his portion, and I looked out across the tent village. Children played, happy as could be, while adults gathered around similar stew pots, in large groups to share meals. I caught some firebenders charring fish caught from the bay, while waterbenders separated contaminants from drinking water, so parched children could have a small respite from their playtime.

“We got benders and non-benders living together here,” Gommu continued, “but do you see us fighting? No-sirree. Well-“ he paused, waggling a finger. “At least, not about being equal. We do get our lover’s quarrels.”

The air around the pot stilled, and I tried my absolute best not to look at Mako and Asami… or Bolin.

“But other than that, we’ve learned to live together harmoniously, in perfect balance,” he finished, hugging himself tightly.

Bolin nodded at him, holding his bowl high, as if saluting Gommu with it.

“You are a wise and noble street man,” he commented – or, complimented? I had been reminded more often than not these past few days, that Bolin and Mako were used to living like this – on the streets, without homes. I wasn’t sure whether to feel comforted by this fact, or saddened that the brothers had to retreat back to the life they only recently left behind, thanks to the equalists.

Bolin took a big spoonful of his food, and brought it to his lips. As soon as he tasted it, his eyes lit up, and he waggled his spoon at Gommu.

“Mmm! This is the best tasting street gruel I’ve ever had – seriously!” he complimented, grinning broad. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I wondered how he could maintain this happy, upbeat attitude, even when we were hiding like snow rats, eating whatever _street gruel_ was. It didn’t make sense to me, how he could stay positive at a time like this.

“I culled it from the finest dumpsters the city has to offer!” Gommu replied, with a bright wag of his finger. I stared at the mixture sitting in front of me, caught between the twin sounds of Asami retching beside me and Bolin humming contentedly.

Well, if Bolin and Gommu thought it was edible –

I took a bite, and it was, surprisingly, not bad. It tasted like the soup in soup dumplings – but heavily unseasoned, and with weird textured lumps in it. Oh well - food was food. And I would need it to keep my strength up. Spirits only knew when the fleet would be arriving, and I had to be ready.

X

That night, like many a night before, I nested into the borrowed fabrics that served as my makeshift bedroll, far away from the others, beside a wall. Asami curled up close to the fire, as the chilled air seeped in through the drafts of the tunnels, and Korra snuggled in with Naga. I sighed, punching my pillow to give it a little bit of substance, before using it to prop myself up against one of the cleaner tunnel walls.

It had been difficult for me to sleep, recently. The previous night, a nice older lady had caught me wondering the tents at night, and offered me a calming tea to help me sleep. I had asked her if it would keep me from dreaming.

My dreams had always been intense, even before the equalists had attacked. But since then, they had shifted from nonsensical and slightly jarring, to purely terrifying. Ever since I had felt Tarrlok’s blood grip, ever since I had seen the crazed look in his eyes as he told me I should have never been born… I hadn’t slept well. And I didn’t want to worry the others.

I tried to cuddle into the threadbare blankets I had been loaned by other members of the tent village, but I was still shivering. I didn’t know if it was because I was scared of my nightmares, or simply because of the draft, but I sighed. I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes, and trying to find some sort of peace, even within the chaos.

“Hey, Taro?”

I blinked, my eyes opening slowly. It was Bolin, wiggling his way over to me, with his own blankets and pillow.

“Yeah?” I replied, surprised that he was speaking to me. I had seen him watching me as I set up my bedroll away from the fire and the rest of the group the previous night, and he had never said anything before, so I was a little shocked when he leaned against the wall next to me.

“You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?” he asked, shooting me a small, sad look. I started, surprised that he had even noticed. It always seemed like Bolin was out like a light whenever I had to take a midnight walk.

“It’s not that bad,” I replied, trying to keep my composure. “Just a little cold. I wake up every now and then, but it’s fine, I’m OK,” I tried to reassure him. I didn’t want him to worry about me – I desperately wished he didn’t care so much.

“But it’s more than that, isn’t it?” he pressed, and when he looked at me, his expression was so sad, I didn’t even know how to process it. He looked away, pressing his knees to his chest, holding them there with his arms wrapped around them.

“I heard you last night, and the night before. You’re having nightmares too,” he mumbled, his face pressed to his arms. I blinked, startled.

“You’re having nightmares?” I asked. I had thought Bolin was fine. Whenever he talked to Asami, or Korra, or even Gommu, he was always happy, joking, positive Bolin, who always had a quip or some silly face to brighten everyone’s day. I thought he was thriving down here, even in wartime.

“Bad ones,” he replied. “I don’t want to tell Mako about it – he’s got enough on his plate with Korra and Asami.”

“I still feel bad about that,” I mumbled, mimicking his position, if only to try and conserve heat.

“Don’t feel bad about it, it’s not your fault,” Bolin shook his head, looking at me with so much concern on his face. “You can’t fix everything, Taro.”

“I know I can’t fix everything,” I countered, hugging my knees tightly, “but I have to try to at least protect Korra. To keep her safe. If anything happens to her…” I trailed off, my face probably betraying the despair I felt.

“Is that what your nightmares have been about?” Bolin asked. He turned to face me, hand planted firmly on the ground as he looked at me.

I wished desperately that I could say it was the only thing plagued my dreams. That it was the only thing that was causing me this much distress. But, as I felt the blood rush to my face as I blushed at his attention, I knew it wasn’t. I still hadn’t told anyone that I was a bloodbender – that I was related to the same man who had attacked and kidnapped Korra. That my overprotective nature was in part a compensation for what my father had done to her.

And I couldn’t tell them. It was bad enough seeing Bolin worry over me, but to see him look at me with distaste, with disgust… I don’t think I would be able to bear it.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, trying not to think about how it hurt my heart to lie to him. “I wasn’t able to save her from Tarrlok, and I just – I need to be there, for her. Everything’s so messed up-“

“I know how you feel,” Bolin replied, brushing a hand lightly over my shoulder, before he thought better of it and instead leaned against the wall. “When I woke up from Tarrlok’s bloodbending, and I saw you gone, I-“

Bolin choked on his words, shaking his head.

“I’ve been having nightmares about it. About Amon taking my bending, taking your bending, and Mako’s, and even Korra’s – “ he took a breath, trying to calm himself as his shoulders shook. I desperately wanted to hold him, but I stayed where I was, unable to offer him that comfort.

“I’ve been trying to stay positive,” he mumbled, smiling up at me, even thought it was sad. “For Mako – for Korra. That’s my thing – Bolin, the funny guy,” Bolin pointed his thumbs to his chest, and even thought he tried to put on a more genuine smile, it faltered as I looked at him. My eyes widened – he had seemed so genuine, when he was laughing with Mako and Korra, and punching his brother’s shoulder. He had been so upbeat at dinner, and especially when he had showed off Pabu’s new tricks for Asami. I had thought he was just so positive that he didn’t even feel fear, at times like these.

“You’ve been dealing with that, all this time?” I asked, trying to hold back my own emotion. Had Bolin really been feeling the same sort of despair – the same pit in his stomach that I had felt? The same horror that had only recently turned into rage and impatience?

“Eh, it’s not that bad,” Bolin brushed it off, tossing me a grin that was more of a sideways smirk, but still didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been doing it forever – when Mako and I were on the streets, he would work jobs in the local factories sometimes, if I promised to stay out of trouble. Whenever he came home, he was always so sad… so it was my job to make him laugh, to make him feel better.”

Bolin looked down at his hands, with a soft, gentle smile, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. Spirits, I hadn’t even been able to tell, that underneath all of this, there was a different side to Bolin. A much deeper side. I had first glimpsed it when he told me about how much Amon had affected him, but this – this was so much more. He made jokes on purpose, because he knew his friends were sad. He was positive whenever possible because he knew somebody had to be. He tried to make light of situations, even when we were in our darkest times – and he knew what he was doing. He felt that same fear that all of us did, and he pushed it back, just to make us smile, and forget it for a while. And I felt so stupid for not seeing it before – and so grateful, that he chose to share it with me now, even after I had pulled away from him, time and time again.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, shuffling a little closer to him, because even if it made my heart skip, I knew how much he seemed to like hugs, and physical closeness, and I wanted to provide that for him, even if it was horrible at it. “You don’t have to carry that all the time, and I’m… I’m sorry for contributing to it. I’ve been such a downer for these last few days, and I-“

“Hey, don’t apologize!” Bolin all but shouted, shaking his head and grabbing at my shoulder, to make sure that I knew he was serious. “Listen, just because I try to cheer people up doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy for me, or anybody else.”

“Then you don’t have to pretend to be happy for us, either,” I countered, and I was reminded of our conversation in the pool at Asami’s mansion, and how awfully similar this was. “Or, at least, not to me,” I added, because I knew that what Bolin was doing for everyone else wasn’t exactly pretending – it was just his way of coping. He saw the bright side and tried to bring everyone up with him, so that he could help others. So that he could feel better about himself and his situation. He always seemed genuinely happy whenever he brought a smile to someone else’s face, or when he made a stranger laugh, so I wasn’t going to tell him that he had to stop being happy for others… just that he didn’t have to force himself to, in order to try to make me happy, or like him.

Bolin looked at me strangely, like I had said something wrong, but before I could open my mouth to apologize, he was looking away, struggling to find the words to reply with.

“I know,” he replied, sinking against the wall. “I just wish all of this had never happened. That there were no stupid equalists, no Amon, no nothing – and that the Fire Ferrets and the Catgators could face off again in the arena like nothing had ever happened,” Bolin said, waving his arms for emphasis. I smiled sadly at him, leaning against the wall as well, with my head tilted to the side to meet his gaze.

“I wish that too,” I mumbled, my eyelids starting to feel heavy, as the hours grew later and later. “Everything was so much simpler back then. It was just you and me and some well-deserved smack talk.” I grinned at him, remembering when things were easy. Before I knew I liked him, before Amon had really started to gain traction. I wondered if, had things gone differently, Bolin and I would be dating by now, holding hands and eating ice cream down by the pier like a normal couple. I wonder if I had never learned I was a bloodbender, if we could have been happy.

Bolin chuckled at my joke, and grinned at me, the soft thing he seemed to reserve only for a select few instances, the kind that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was a genuine smile.

“This is kind of stupid,” Bolin mentioned, chuckling a little as he did, “but, do you mind if I sleep next to you – obviously not right next to you, but – it helps with the nightmares,” he admitted, with a shrug, a scratch to the back of his head, and a soft blush.

I laughed, but I also offered him a tiny smile. Spirits, if he had told me to hold him as he slept, I would have agreed with no hesitation, at this point.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I sleep so far from the fire, though. I makes me nervous when I don’t have something on my back,” I replied, patting the wall behind me. “But, if you’re here… maybe I don’t have to sleep upright,” I added, with a little half-smile. It was uncomfortable, having to sleep upright. But, even just knowing that Bolin was next to me offered me a form of comfort. That he was helping me keep watch, that he was just as strong and capable as I was, and that I knew he would just as soon jump to rescue me, like I would him.

“Oh man, you’ve been sleeping sitting up? No wonder you’re having nightmares, spirits, lay down!” Bolin ordered, batting at my shoulders. I laughed, batting back as I shimmied down to the floor, snuggling under my blankets. It was still cold, of course, but something about having Bolin so close to me warmed me up so much that it didn’t even matter anymore. Maybe it was just the way that he seemed to make me blush like a madman whenever he so much as spoke in my direction.

He turned to face me in his own little blanket cocoon, all bundled up, with only his face peeking out. He was cute, and I couldn’t help but grin at him before I turned to lay on my back.

“Hey, what was that look?” he asked, confused. I snorted.

“What look?” I feigned ignorance, shooting him a stupid, silly grin. He pouted at me, and I tried not to laugh too loud.

“No, that look, the one before!” Bolin urged, and I shook my head, shimmying further under my blankets.

“I’m just happy you were smiling,” I admitted, my voice all but a whisper. I threw an arm over my eyes to block out the torchlight, and also to hide my face, as I thought of how warm his smile made me – the smile that he directed at me, the laughs and the silly pouts that I caused. It was so much better than when he looked at me with concern. I hoped he would stay happy – truly happy.

“I’m glad you were too,” he replied. I could feel his warmth through our threadbare blankets, where our elbows barely grazed. And I could hear the sincerity in his voice.

“Goodnight, Bolin,” I mumbled, trying to quell the emotion from entering my voice – the inflection of adoration I knew I was struggling to control at this point.

“Goodnight, Taro,” Bolin replied, his voice so soft compared to his normal boisterous laughs, his loud banter. It felt special somehow – different.

And for once, with Bolin by my side, I was finally able to drift off to sleep easily, knowing that he had my back.


	20. Skeletons in the Closet - A Fighting Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the United Forces fleet attempts to land in Republic City, Taro and Korra fight desperately against the new equalist weapons. After the fight, Taro resolves to follow Korra no matter where it takes her - to end this war, once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a apologize if this chapter has more typos or grammar errors than usual - it's long as hell, and was very difficult to edit.

It was a good thing I had a full night’s rest in me, because the next morning, Gommu sprung good news on us at breakfast.

“The fleet’s fast approaching! One of my associates heard those nasty equalists talking about readying their defenses. They have to be arriving here today!” he has assured us, and for once, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With reinforcements, it would be much easier to protect Korra and the others – not to mention easier to fight Amon. He may have been able to take out the police force, but I highly doubted he could manage to equalize a whole fleet of war ships.

We ate fast – probably too fast – before Mako led the way to the tunnel we had first entered from, to the platform above it.

“Coast is clear – come on!” Mako called, waving us forward. I followed Korra, Asami, and Bolin to the mouth of the tunnel, bouncing on the balls of my feet as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I took the stairs to the platform two at a time, unable to contain myself. Finally, we could end this fight.

“Once the United Forces arrive, we need to be ready to help in any way we can,” Korra mumbled, as we ducked low under the railing. The thick morning fog that swept over the shore kept us hidden, but it kept the approaching ships obscured as well, as I strained my eyes to see through the mist.

I nodded at her words as we crouched down, Bolin pulling a short spyglass from his tunic, holding it tight as Korra relayed her message.

I grit my teeth as I thought about what Korra had said. Even though the United Forces were strong, they might still need our help – but I was prepared to rocket out into the ocean at a moment’s notice if it meant stopping Amon.

“They’re here,” Mako called, his voice steady and sure. I started, sitting forward, straightening my back, as Bolin fumbled with his spyglass to locate the approaching fleet.

“How far away are they?” I asked Bolin, leaning close so I could speak softly. He jumped at the sound of my voice, fumbling with the device once again, almost dropping it this time.

“Taro! You scared me!” he gasped, grabbing at his heart. I rolled my eyes.

“You knew I was hear the whole time!” I argued back, with half a mind to just snatch the spyglass from his hand and take a look for myself. However, Asami answered me before I could.

“They’re pretty close, look-“ she pointed out to sea, and I followed her gesture, my mouth hanging open as the ships surged into view. There were so many of them – and they were here to help.

“Wait a second,” Korra mumbled, before she stood up quick, her head whipping around. I stood up beside her, worried as her voice wavered.

“Where are the equalist airships?” she asked, her eyebrows scrunched together in concern. My eyes widened, and I followed her gaze towards the city. She was right – Gommu had even said the equalists were preparing for the United Forces. If that was the case… where were their defensive measures?

Mako took matters into his own hands, snatching Bolin’s spyglass even as his brother shouted an indignant “hey!” in his direction. He pointed it towards the shore, adjusting it as needed.

“I don’t see any mecha tanks down there either,” he mumbled, the concern in his voice palpable. When he lowered the eyepiece from his face, the look he shared with Korra was one of sadness, and fear. I felt my blood run cold.

“No,” I breathed, and I balled my fists, my head snapping back to the approaching fleet – all those soldiers, putting their lives on the line for our city. What did Amon have planned for them?

I didn’t have to wait long for my answer. As the ships approached the shore, they must have hit something – hidden bombs, underwater, planted specifically for the United Forces. As the ships’ hulls collided with the bombs, they exploded, the sound deafening as the water shook with the impact. I gasped – the explosion loud, the water ripe with flames, with smoke trailing into the sky as the first ship hit another mine, and I could already see it sinking deeper into the water –

We had to do something. I had to do something.

I shared a brief glance with Korra – a knowing look, a determined look. I nodded at her, and in one swift motion, we threw ourselves over the side of the railing, bending the water to meet us.

The water surged to meet me, and I opened myself to it, plunging into the depths. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I bent the water to my will, first pushing my arms forward, then back, rocketing myself towards the ships, as Korra did the same beside me. I didn’t have a plan – I honestly didn’t know how to help. It was one thing fighting a handful of robot tanks, or a group of equalists, but an army of bombs and artillery was completely different.

But it didn’t matter. This fleet was our only hope, and I wasn’t going to sit back and watch Korra defend it alone.

I surfaced next to a ship, trying to formulate a plan. I had lost sight of Korra, but maybe I could somehow bend the ships to shore, create a current strong enough to float them over top of the bombs – like ice dodging, but even more deadly.

I grit my teeth, preparing to pillar up onto a ship, when I heard a violent buzzing noise.

My breath caught as I looked overhead. Instead of airships, something else was soaring towards us – smaller aircraft, and faster, too. I shook my head and finally pressed my hands upwards, pillaring myself onto the nearest ship to survey the situation.

Whatever those aircraft were, they were bad news, and I knew it. Before I could even think about bending even one of the ships through the minefield, first, we would have to take care of those things.

I turned on my heels, falling into a low stance as the ice solidified around them, keeping me locked into position. I breathed out, then in, pulling water towards me, exerting my force onto it and willing it to respond, as the craft drew closer.

I roared, pulling the water towards me and then pushing outwards as the craft fired something at the ship I was defending. I shot the pillar high into the air, and it crashed with the bomb the aircraft had dropped, exploding upon impact. I shielded my face as the heat of the explosion blinded me for a moment, before I heard the crew cheer behind me. Spirits, I hadn’t even noticed them before, but the few men on deck behind me were waving their hands at me, cheering me on. I smirked, feeling electrified, motivated.

The craft drew closer, and now that I knew what they were throwing at me, I could redirect it. I gathered the water to me, a strong, flowing stream on either side of the bow as I stood my ground. At the next bomb, I caught it with one stream, allowing myself to bend to the flow of the bomb, my arms circling over my head before I redirected the momentum, throwing it right back at the planes in front of me.

Miraculously, my aim was true, and the aircraft exploded, the passenger inside falling into the water below. I grinned, and then focused my attention of the aircraft that had released the bomb, which was trying to fly past us. Not on my watch.

“Hey!” I called back, to the men on the deck. I didn’t know who they were, and they didn’t know who I was, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.

“Take down that craft!” I yelled, pointing at the fast aircraft zooming overhead. One of the men nodded, turning to the others, who manned their positions. They were earthbenders, I realized, as they started to relay earth discs to each other in order to fire a barrage at the aircraft. I didn’t know who they were, but I was reminded of Bolin – of Haku, even, as they tossed discs to each other. These men were someone’s friend – someone cherished them, and it was now my job to protect them, like I would protect Haku in the ring, or Bolin, from the equalists. The ice around my feet crept up my calves, as I glared at the sky. I would not let the equalists touch these men.

“Augh!” I yelled, using all my energy to surge a huge pillar upwards, catching a craft that was headed towards our neighboring ship. My chest heaved, my body slick with the spray of the water and my own sweat, as my muscles revolted against my bending. This was unlike anything I had ever done before – unlike any bending I had ever attempted. But I couldn’t let everyone down now. Not after everything else. Not after I had lost to Amon, and Tarrlok – this, this was a fight I couldn’t lose.

“ _No you don’t!_ ” I screamed, as a plane dropped its bomb before reaching us, the bomb descending into the water. I ripped my feet from their bindings, turning to the port side of the ship and falling into a deep horse stance, my fists squeezed tight as I punched upwards, the water below me forming a thick barrier of ice. The bomb crashed into it, barely saving the ship from wrecking, the explosion shaking it violently. I flew backwards, almost off the bow – before I grabbed onto a spare bit of rigging and righted myself, breathing hard.

“Hey, waterbender!” one of the earthbenders yelled. He was old, with greying hair and a stocky build.

“I’m alright,” I promised, pushing myself off the raised portion of the bow I had used to catch my fall, closing my fists to harden my icy shackles again, securing myself to the ship. “Don’t worry about me, worry about the ship!” I called, shaking my head and scanning the skies. All of the aircraft were too far away for a clean shot, and I didn’t want to waste my energy on ice projectiles. These were far faster than airships, and I didn’t want to tire myself out, even though I desperately wanted to knock them all out of the sky.

“What’s your name, girl?” the man asked, calling across the way from the stores of discs he was helping his men disperse. “I’d like to know who’s fighting alongside me.”

“Taro,” I called back, still scanning the skies, waiting for an opportunity. “Sorry for ordering you around,” I added, since he was obviously the one in charge of it.

“Oh, don’t be sorry about it,” he replied with a laugh, stomping his foot on the ground and punching two earth discs into the air in quick succession. “Without you, we’d be sunk by now.”

“Let’s hope we stay floating!” I yelled, as two aircraft hurdled towards the ship at once. I was already feeling weak, my waterbending significantly drained from taking down the previous craft and deflecting two separate bombings. I didn’t know if I could hold out for this – if I could save this vessel.

I saw Korra pillar up in my peripheral vision – she towered above the ships, bending the water to her own design as she attempted to take down one of the aircraft headed my way. Thank the spirits, she succeeded, the aircraft crashing into the water.

The other, however, stayed on course, and was joined by another, from the stern, as the crewmates screamed at each other to get into a defensive position. I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. I couldn’t help them – the bending was starting to wear on me, and I couldn’t reach anywhere near far enough to help them out on the stern – I could only defend the bow, where I was frozen in place.

I yelled, allowing my expulsion of breath to bring me strength as I lurched violently to the side, swinging my arms upward in a sweeping motion to will the water upwards. The aircraft veered to the side, tilting, but staying on course, directly overtop of the ship I was defending.

“Get away!” I screeched, falling to one knee as I windmilled my arms, before forming fists and thrusting upwards violently. The water jumped to my command, whipping over the ship in a long stream, before solidifying into ice, crashing directly into the craft and ripping its wing. The aircraft sputtered, crashing into the middle of the ship, where, thankfully, no men stood.

It collided with a large lurch, and I struggled to keep my balance as the ship swayed, faced with both a downed plane, on fire in the middle of the ship, and a second aircraft connecting with a well-placed bomb. I fell to my knees, turning my head to the stern, only to see the earthbenders struggling to stay afloat as the ship shook violently.

“Bail!” I coughed, as I tried to crawl to my feet. My arms felt like jelly, from the amount and severity of bending I was trying to withhold, my strength fading. “You all won’t be able to make it!” I yelled to the earthbender who had addressed me before – “Bail! I can’t hold them off!”

“We can’t leave our ship!” he cried back, loading more earth discs for his men to bend, even as the ship lurched violently to the right. The charred remains of the aircraft still smoldered in the middle of the ship, and I pleaded to him with my eyes, as I heard the tell-tale whirring of not one, but two planes headed straight for us.

“We need to bail!” I insisted, pushing aside my pride. As much as I desperately wanted to win this battle – I wanted to save as many people as possible, first and foremost.

The earthbender looked to me, with a pained expression – sad, and hopeless, as he desperately tried to organize his men into a battle formation he knew wouldn’t work.

“I can’t leave my ship,” he replied, his voice wavering even as he stood true. My lip quivered, but I drew my hands downward, reaffirming the icy grip on my ankles.

“Then I won’t leave it either!” I yelled, practically bending myself in half as I surged downward to gather water, then upward again to strike at the aircraft. The earthbenders let out a volley of discs, not even staying in their prerequisite firing positions anymore – simply moving about the deck, throwing earth at the aircraft until it hit – frantic and desperate.

Beyond all hope, my wave knocked the other craft off course, sending it careening into the side of another ship that was already sinking – much more severely than ours was. Our own ship was tilting even more violently than before, some earthbenders struggling to maintain their footing, as other crewmembers surfaced from below deck.

“We can’t hold out for much longer!” one of the newly surfaced crewmembers yelled. He was a firebender, soaked from the waist down as he stumbled around the wreckage that was middeck.

“We need lifeboats!” I roared, my voice cracking as I took a knee, my legs aching, my shoulders sagging as I struggled to keep my breath. The aircraft whirred overhead, and I panted, ducking my head as I faced defeat. “And we need them now!”

I locked eyes with the earthbender, and something in my expression must have convinced him, because he took a deep, strong breath before turning to his men.

“Ready the lifeboats!”

“But sir, we won’t fit!” A younger earthbender yelled, the terror in my eyes chilling me to my core.

“Yes you will!” I yelled, shaking my head violently. “I’ll keep us afloat – I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

“You heard her!” the earthbender roared, pointing towards the two lifeboats that hadn’t been destroyed. “Everybody in!”

It was by some grace of the spirits that we made it into the boats without a direct bombing – one torpedo did strike the ship’s right side, and a few men lost their footing, but it was nothing compared to the shape of some of the other ships. I climbed onto the lead boat, standing tall on the bow as it rocked against the edge of the ship

“Hold on!” I screamed, icing my feet to the boat as I pushed upwards, shouting as the wave fought against me. I made it, though – the wave crested over the side of the ship, lifting both of the lifeboats up and depositing them into the water. I help my shoulders high, bearing the weight of the overloaded lifeboats before I shot my arms back behind me, the force shocking me as I torpedoed the boats towards safety – towards the tunnels of the Republic City underground.

We barely made it to safety. My arms shook as I held my stance, rocketing the two lifeboats to the lip of the tunnel, where I could see Korra and the rest of my friends waiting. I managed to hold out just long enough, but as soon as I reached land, it was as if all of my energy was sucked out of me. White spots sparkled at the edges of my vision as I wobbled on my feet, my bending giving way and the ice holding me upright melting under me

I lurched forward, but luckily, my friends were there to catch me.

“Taro!” Bolin yelled, as I finally lost my footing and keeled forward. I threw my hands in front of myself to catch my fall – but I didn’t need it. Bolin was there in an instant, falling to his knees in order to wrap his arms around me as I hurdled towards the cold floor. It wasn’t a graceful fall – I choked on my own breath as I hurdled into his arms, scrambling for purchase, trying to grab ahold of his shoulders as my legs gave out from under me. Falling into him knocked the breath out of me – and it knocked his legs out from under him, as he collapsed under me, his own form failing before he would let go of me.

“I got you,” he promised, and I exhaled heavily, wrapping my arms around his neck, just for a moment, and squeezing gently. Spirits, what would I do without him?

“Thanks, Bolin,” I mumbled, with a little laugh, as I finally pulled away. I was sitting on top of him, and he grinned at me, a little goofy as he wrapped an arm around my waist, hauling me to my feet.

While I had been falling on my face, the United Forces troops were unloading behind me, assisted by Korra, Mako, and Asami, as well as an older man in a tattered red uniform. Another rescued soldier?

As I was regaining my composure, the man who I had previously identified as the ranking official on the ship marched towards me, looking serious. I stiffened under Bolin’s hold, worried that I had somehow done something wrong – spirits, I had really spoken out when I had been defending his ship. I hoped he hadn’t taken offense -

“Taro? I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. Lieutenant Ren,” he bowed, and I struggled to do the same, Bolin making an indignant noise as my legs buckled and he had to grip me even tighter to make sure I didn’t keel over.

“It’s a pleasure, sir,” I replied, “I apologize for ordering you around-“

“Oh, would you stop it with the apologizing! If it were up to me, some of these men would probably be at the bottom of the bay by now,” Ren replied, his face grim. He shook his head at the idea, before he caught my gaze again. “You saved me, and my men. Thank you for that.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” I replied, shaking my head, “anyone would have done the same. We need the United Forces more than anything right now.”

“Well, we’ll try our best,” Ren nodded, his hands on his hips. “We’re not much, but your friend the Avatar managed to save General Iroh’s life, so that’s playing in our favor.”

“Korra did what?” I asked, my eyebrows raising. Bolin shrugged, and I could feel it more than I could see it.

“Yeah, about that… Korra kinda saved General Iroh’s life,” Bolin reiterated, and I did my best not to roll my eyes, as Lieutenant Ren looked us over.

At least we had made it through the battle. Not entirely unscathed, but alive. And hopeful, even after our loss.

X

We all managed to re-orient ourselves – the locals rounded up Ren and his men, leading them off to provide them with food, warm clothes, and rest. General Iroh was ready to follow them, and make sure that his men were safe and cared for – but Korra steered him away, instead herding him towards a bench where she could heal his badly burned arm.

“I’m fine,” he protested, but Korra shook her head.

“No, you need to heal. This is a pretty bad burn,” Korra chided, gesturing to his torn sleeve and reddened skin. I had no idea what had happened to him, but whatever it was, it surely would have been far worse if he hadn’t been a firebender, with a natural resistance to burns.

I say on an old fruit box next to him, as the others crowded around us. My legs were still wobbly, so I had to keep off of them for the time being, as I healed them. I was subtle about it, rubbing at my joints and muscles as I actually healed them from within, twisting my fingers only slightly to stimulate my blood flow. I hated how often I had to heal myself now, how often I had to use my blood healing – but it was a necessary evil, considering who we were up against.

Korra drew water from a nearby bucket to soothe General Iroh’s wounds, and I looked away, feeling equal parts guilty for not healing Iroh myself, but also deeply disturbed at the ides of bloodbending another person – a friend – even if it was for healing purposes. I cringed at the thought of how I healed Bolin in the area, what felt like a lifetime ago, before I even knew who I was. It made me feel disgusting.

General Iroh sighed as Korra began to work on his shoulder, not once wincing or indicating any sort of pain.

“We were prepared to deal with Sato’s mecha tanks, but not these new high speed aircraft,” he explained, waving his free hand at the rest of us. I nodded solemnly. We were lucky to have saved General Iroh, thanks to Korra’s quick thinking. If anyone would be able to handle what Sato had in store, it would be him.

“I know,” Korra sighed, moving her hands rhythmically as she healed. “Every time we feel like we have an advantage, Amon outsmarts us.”

“No matter what our plan is, he always has a better one,” I added, shaking my head as I looked down. It felt like he knew our every move, like he could counteract us before we even thought about what to do. It was horrible, and it left me feeling as if we were all out of options.

“Amon is winning so far…” Iroh mumbled, his expression thoughtful, “…but we’re not out of the fight yet.”

“I like this man’s confidence!” Bolin yelled, pumping his fist in the air, before he took a second to consider, and rubbed his chin. “Wait, uh… how, exactly, are we not out of the fight?”

I tried to stifle my completely out of place giggle. Spirits, even Bolin’s stupid comments meant to lighten the mood were getting to me now. I really was whipped, wasn’t I?

“A second wave of reinforcements is on the way, but I still need to warn them about the equalists’ new weapons and the danger they pose. They think they’re heading into a port that’s already been secured – not one that’s filled with the ruins of our fleet,” General Iroh shook his head, still overwhelmed by the day’s events. “Do you still have a way to get a message out?”

Korra grinned, crossing her arms.

“I think I have just the man for the job.” She nodded in the direction of Gommu, and I grinned despite myself.

General Iroh sent out his message to the reinforcements, telling them to hold off until he gave the all-clear. It wasn’t the news I was hoping for, but I trusted General Iroh. He had an air of confidence about him that soothed some of my worries. Even though Korra was the Avatar, she was still just a kid – as were the rest of us. We didn’t know how to fight a war. But Iroh did, and maybe with his help, along with the remaining men in his battalion, we could stand a chance. He obviously thought we did.

“Now comes the hard part,” he grumbled, rolling out a map along a rickety table. The rest of us gathered around it, and I joined them, my legs holding my weight easily now that I had healed them. My muscles were still sore, and it took some extra effort for me to hold myself up – but I managed without any issue.

“Luckily, we have Lieutenant Ren here to hold down the fort. No matter what happens, he and his men will do whatever they can to preserve this small pocket of benders,” General Iroh leveled us with a serious stare, as he continued. “If all else fails, Ren and his men will be able to mobilize anyone from this community that is able to fight. I know it’s not much, but it would be just enough, if things turn south. But, that’s all speculation. For now, let’s look at what we definitely need to do to support the next fleet.”

He smoothed over the map once more, tapping at the bay portion.

“We need to take out those aircraft. General Bumi will never be able to dock if those things are attacking him when he arrives.” Iroh rubbed his chin, surveying the map.

“They came from this direction,” Mako declared, pointing out a section of the map. “But there’s no way Sato has an airstrip big enough to launch them from inside the city. It must be over this mountain range,” Mako directed out attention to a mountain directly outside the city, and I shuddered involuntarily, reminded of my unwanted trek into the mountains beyond the city with Tarrlok.

“Everyone get ready,” General Iroh commanded, “we leave at dawn.”

All of my friends looked so determined – Mako, Asami, and even Bolin nodded with determination as General Iroh spoke. Asami even went on to say that they would finally take down her father – that she could have closure.

But I didn’t feel the same way. Something twisted in my gut – something that told me that I wouldn’t be following them – that I shouldn’t. All the times I had thought of sneaking away in the middle of the night to take down Amon… maybe this would be that night.

My eyes drifted to Bolin’s back as we excited the makeshift war room, his shoulders held high. Would this be the last time I saw him? Would this be the last time I saw any of them?

“Wait.”

I spun on my heel. Korra was standing in the threshold, her hands balled into fists. And even before she spoke, I knew what she was going to say – I knew, because I was thinking it too.

“I’m sorry, but… I’m not going with you tomorrow,” she said, standing firm, as she threw her head back. I nodded at her, even while Mako and Asami gasped, questioning why.

“I’m sick and tired of hiding from Amon. It’s time I face him,” she declared, and I nodded again, more firmly this time, taking a step towards her.

“That’s not a good idea. We need to stick together,” General Iroh replied, but Korra stood firm.

“I’m not going to stick around and wait for him to hunt me down. My gut is telling me to end this, on my terms,” Korra gestured firmly, standing tall as she spoke her piece. I quirked a grin at her – not at her words, so much, as her fire.

“Korra, this is not a mission you should be taking on alone,” General Iroh warned, but I shook my head, and stepped forward.

“She won’t be.”

Twin voiced rang out, and I looked over my shoulder, shocked to see Mako stepping forward as well, his own shoulders held high.

“I’ll be going with her,” he said, calm, but firm. I caught his gaze, and I grinned, nodding in agreement.

“I’m coming too. I’ve got my own bone to pick with Amon,” I growled, cracking my knuckles as I stepped to Korra’s side, Mako right behind me, flanking her from the right.

“You guys don’t have to do this,” Korra replied, glancing from Mako to myself with concern written clear as day on her features. But we both held firm.

“Yes, I do,” Mako said, and the tone of his voice, more than anything, conveyed so much more than his words ever could.

“So do I. I’m coming with you, whether you like it, or not,” I added, crossing my arms and popping my hip, raising an eyebrow at Korra, egging her on to try and stop me.

Korra smiled at the both of us – soft, and uneasy, but grateful. I grinned back. I was afraid, of course, and I was anxious for what was to come – but I knew that I needed to be there, but Korra’s side, no matter what.

Even if that hurt others around me.

General Iroh droned on – something about trusting Korra, and his grandfather’s instincts – but it all fell away as I caught sight of Bolin’s face. It was far worse than before, when I had denied his help at air temple island, or when I had delved deep into a depression as we first descended into the tunnels. This was far worse – he looked like he might burst into tears, and my heart sank for him.

“You can’t go – you’re still hurt!” he begged me, as I settled in for bed. Our bedrolls were still next to each other, and I wished that I hadn’t allowed myself that moment of weakness, the previous night. It would have made this easier – easier to ignore Bolin, easier to isolate myself. Easier to lie.

“I’m fine, Bolin,” I assured him, with a gentle smile. I didn’t know what would happen to me tomorrow, what would happen to Korra or Mako either. But I did know that it was what I had to do. That if I didn’t protect Korra, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. It was the least I could do, to break the curse of Tarrlok, and Yakon – who had not only terrorized Korra in this life, but in her past life as well.

“No, you’re not, Taro,” he rebuked me, staring me down as he spoke, his voice filled with emotion. “You literally collapsed earlier today – remember that?”

“It’s fine,” I promised him, this time actually setting my hand on his shoulder and squeezing. “I wasn’t hurt – I was tired. I pushed myself too far with my bending. But I’m fine now – and I’ll be fine in the morning. Don’t worry about me. You have yourself to worry about – and the attack on the airfield tomorrow morning. Don’t stress yourself out.”

“How can I not stress myself out!” Bolin exploded, his hands flying up in the air. “Every time I turn around you’re throwing yourself into more and more danger! It’s bad enough that Mako’s going to take on Amon, but you too?”

Something caught in my throat, or my chest – I’m not sure what it was, but it broke open inside me, and my hand squeezed Bolin’s shoulder tighter, trying to hold myself together. I knew it wasn’t fair to him – I knew he cared about me, and that it hurt him to see me throw myself into danger – but I couldn’t just change myself for him. I couldn’t stop loving and protecting Korra, and I couldn’t stop fighting. I knew it would leave him heartbroken, but I couldn’t help who I was – any more than Bolin could help who he was.

So, instead, I pushed past a part of myself that I _could_ change. I reeled forward, wrapping my arms around Bolin’s shoulders, in an awkward, lopsided hug, as we both sat on the cold tunnel floor. I blinked hard, willing away my tears as I held him tight, hoping to show him without words that no matter what I had to do tomorrow, no matter what happened – that I loved him. I knew I loved him, knew that no matter what I tried, I wouldn’t stop loving him, whether that be as a partner, or as a friend. And I desperately wished that things were different – that I could hug him like this every day, that I could tell him I loved him, and hold him tight at night as we fell asleep.

But we didn’t live in that world. We lived in a time of war, in a world full of injustice and unrest. And this was the most I could give him, right now.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his shoulder, still holding back tears.

He wrapped his arms around me, then, hugging me back. It wasn’t the loose, gentle hug that he had given me previously, nor the soul-crushing bear hug he had squished me in on more than one occasion. No, this was tight, and it pressed us close – but it was more than that. It was as if Bolin was trying to savor the moment for as long as he could – to commit the feeling to memory as I pressed my forehead to his shoulder.

“Don’t be sorry, I’m just –“ Bolin breathed deeply, squeezing me as he did so. “I’m scared, Taro. I’m so scared.”

“I’m scared too,” I mumbled back, my hands pressed flat to his shoulders as I breathed him in. I could feel his heartbeat like this – like that night we spent together in my shitty apartment. That felt like it was so long ago – so distant, compared to the harsh reality we faced tomorrow.

“You have to promise me to come back,” Bolin demanded, his voice wavering, as he held back his own tears. “You have to come back, and you have to bring my brother back with you. I don’t know if I could handle-“

“Shh,” I shushed him, running my hand through his hair, sliding just an inch closer to him as he spoke. It was hard to keep the emotion out of my own voice as I spoke – as I held him tight.

“I’ll keep him safe,” I promised, because I knew I would do everything it took to keep Mako and Korra safe. But to his first promise, I never replied. I didn’t think I could reply. I didn’t know what terrors awaited us at the hands of Amon, and I wasn’t going to tell Bolin pretty lies, I wasn’t going to treat him like a child. But I would promise to keep Mako as safe as I could. I would promise to protect him, the same as I would protect Korra.

“Thank you,” Bolin blubbered, his voice watery as he clutched at my shirt. I nodded against his shoulder, savoring the feel of him – the warmth, the strength of his arms around me. I let the feeling ground me – he made me feel safe, and at home like that, wrapped up in big arms and a firm, beating heart. I wished I could live in that moment forever.

X

The next morning we readied for battle. Korra, Mako, and I donned our equalist uniforms in silence, before we finally faced the rest of our party – Asami, Bolin and General Iroh, who would be parting ways to take out the airfield.

As soon as we saw them, Bolin ran to his brother, wrapping him up in a huge, strong hug. I smiled gently at the display, reminded of my promise the night before.

“I love you, little bro,” Mako mumbled, allowing himself a small smile.

“I love you back, big bro. Stay safe out there,” Bolin replied, his voice far more composed than I expected it to be. He was standing strong for Mako, again, I realized, and that only made me sadder as they finally broke their hug, and Bolin moved on to Korra.

“Korra, Amon is a nasty dude. Be careful,” he warned, opening his arms for a hug.

“I will,” Korra replied, stepping forward into his arms. My eyes drifted to Asami, turned away from us as she waited for Bolin to finish saying his goodbyes. My stomach dropped – I hadn’t even thought about how this was affecting her – she was finally facing her father, and Mako had chosen Korra over her. And I hadn’t even tried to comfort her, instead getting wrapped up in my own righteous cause. It made my heart hurt.

“Good luck,” Korra mumbled to Bolin, before pulling away. “If you’re going into the mountains, you should take Naga – take good care of Bolin for me,” Korra patted Naga’s face, and the polar bear-dog replied with a gentle growl and a swift lick to Bolin’s face. It made me smile, at the very least, before he turned to me with a stern look on his face.

“Taro,” he said, scratching the back of his head, as Korra turned to gather our masks. His face was slightly flushed, and I knew mine was as well, but I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of this. I walked straight up to him, and pulled him in for a hug. I was getting better at that.

“You take care of yourself. The spirits only know what Sato’s been working on up there. Stay safe,” I urged him, patting him on the back. When I pulled away, Bolin was looking at me with a strange expression, a single eyebrow raised as he considered me.

“Thanks… you too. Please stay safe,” he urged, and I shrugged.

“Oh, you know me. By the time I’m done with him, Amon’s gonna wish he never met me,” I grinned, trying to lighten the mood, and Bolin smiled back, even if his wasn’t quite as convincing.

We parted ways, after that. Bolin, Asami, and General Iroh climbing onto Naga, as Korra, Mako and I took a different tunnel to the bay. Our plan was simple – Amon’s base of operations was centered on air temple island, and Korra and I could easily bend us there. All we would have to do is find Amon and confront him – hopefully alone, without the help of his guards. If it was three-on-one, we stood a chance.

We didn’t speak as we entered the bay, Korra and I both bending the water around us to create a pocket of air for the three of us to breathe as we transversed the bottom of the body of water. It was solemn, and somewhat terrifying, to be alone with my thoughts, performing a mindless bending technique over and over again. I tried to focus on Korra and Mako’s backs, the patterns of the fabric they wore, how Korra’s arms moved – rather than be alone with my thoughts.

We resurfaced on the island, and donned our masks. My blood pumped heavy in my veins – but turned to ice once I looked upwards.

“There’s Amon!” Korra whispered, as the figure ascended into an airship. My gut twisted, as my conflicting emotions battled inside me. On the one hand, I was upset that Amon was leaving right as we were arriving – it meant that it would take us longer to face him, and we would likely have to hide until he returned. But, on the other hand, I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that I wouldn’t have to go up against him so soon. I knew that no matter when we faced him, we would feel inadequate, but I still craved the comfort of pushing back the encounter that much more.

“We need to get into the temple,” Mako mumbled, crouched down beside me. “Then, when he returns-“

“-We’ll ambush him,” I completed his sentence for him, nodding at him as I did so. It was logical, and it gave us the element of surprise – something we would desperately need.

We left our hiding spot, trying to appear as innocuous as possible as we transversed the open spaces towards the main building of the air temple. I felt so anxious, out in the open like this, even though I was clearly concealed in the equalist uniform. It just felt like anyone could see right through me.

And that fear only solidified when a low voice called out behind us.

“Hey! What are you three doing here?”

It was the man with the mustache – the equalist with the two electric rods that had attacked Bolin, Mako and I outside the Revelation. Amon’s right hand man. I swallowed harshly under my mask.

“Uh- we were just transferred,” Mako replied, trying his best to not flinch under the glare of the equalist. Spirits, I admired his ability to be cool under pressure more than ever.

“Well, you’re getting transferred again. Amon wants extra security at the arena today,” he scoffed, leveling Mako with a glare – or, maybe that was just his resting face.

“The arena? For what?” Mako asked, and I stilled as mustache man’s expression shifted to something even more serious.

“The rally,” he almost whispered, the hint of a sneer on his mouth. “You were supposed to have been briefed on this.”

“We’ll be there, sir!” Korra assured him, nodding deep, as I did the same, sweat already building at my brow as the man scrutinized us. Luckily, he just turned his back on us, heading towards the temple once more. I groaned low.

“How are we supposed to get in now?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

“Don’t sorry,” Korra breathed. “I know another way in.”

She led us through a set of secret doors and tunnels that spat us out inside the temple – thankfully, away from the prying eyes of any equalists. Amon must have sent so many of them to guard the arena that air temple island was basically unguarded, which was good for us.

Korra directed us to the attic, and we followed her, scrambling up the ladder. I was last, still worried that some equalist might hear our hushed footsteps and come storming after us.

Maybe, I should have been more concerned as to what was in front of us.

“Uh,” Mako stuttered, his voice wavering. “We’re not alone up here.”

I panicked, hoisting myself up and into a ready stance when Mako spoke – but when my eyes caught on the other figure in the room, I practically collapsed.

It wasn’t just any man. It was Tarrlok.

Mako and Korra approached him, as I staggered to my feet, trailing after them. This wasn’t a part of the plan – Amon had equalized Tarrlok, and Korra had said so. There was no reason for him to be locked up in an attic like this.

“Tarrlok?” Korra asked, removing her mask. Mako did the same, and I begrudgingly followed, only stepping into the light after Korra and Mako had. His eyes widened when he saw me, but then he sighed, resigned to his fate as he leaned back against the wall of his cell.

“I don’t suppose you’re here to rescue me,” he asked, and I glowered at him, not wishing to dignify him with a response. I should have never taken off my mask – he didn’t deserve to see my face, either.

“We had no idea you were here,” Korra replied, the shock from seeing him still wearing off. Despite the terrible things he had done to her, Korra didn’t look like she despised him at all – she looked on him with disdain and pity, but not hatred, and I wondered why she didn’t hold the same primal disgust that I did, when faced with him. “Are there any other prisoners on the island?” she continued, and Tarrlok relaxed further against the wall.

“No,” he replied lazily, resigned to his place. “Just me.”

“And what makes you so special?” Korra asked, a hint of vitriol seeping into her words as she addressed him. I crossed my arms tighter, waiting for his reply. His gaze shifted over us, but when he spoke, he spoke directly to me.

“I’m Amon’s brother.”

It hit me like a ton of bricks – like a bucket of ice water thrown over my head. I choked on my own breath, as Mako and Korra gasped beside me. They were simply shocked, but I was – I was _broken_.

But no – no, it made _sense_. That same feeling of unnatural fear, that pit of dread that sank into my stomach whenever I felt Tarrlok close by – I felt that way for Amon, as well. I felt his power… his bloodbending.

“He’s a bloodbender,” I breathed, clutching myself tight, my arms wrapped around my center in some semblance of an embrace, to calm myself. My blood roared in my ears, my breath coming fast and hard.

“He’s what?” Korra cried, looking from me to Tarrlok. My father nodded, sitting up straight as he addressed us, Korra and Mako drawing closer to the bars of the cell as I kept my distance, leaning heavily on the wall as Tarrlok explained himself.

“Did you know this all along?” Mako demanded, scowling as he addressed Tarrlok, who took the scorn with a grace and acceptance I had never before seen from him. I supposed it was because he had nothing left to lose.

“No, I didn’t know before he captured me,” he replied, shaking his head. “When he took my bending, I remembered that sensation. You never forget the feel of a bloodbending grip, once you’ve experienced it. It was the same grip I had felt years ago, when I was training with my brother.

“I’m sure you all know by now that I am the son of Yakon, the notorious psychic bloodbender that terrorized Republic City for years,” Tarrlok began, sitting back as he told his tale. “Well, after Avatar Aang took his bending, he was able to escape from the city before he was captured and sent to prison, thanks to his mob ties. He fled to the Northern Water Tribe, where he met my mother, and started a family.

“Amon was his firstborn, although back then, he went by Noatak. I was Yakon’s second, and youngest, son. When we were children, we were good friends – Noatak was fiercely protective of me, and he always supported me as a brother. Things were good… until our father discovered that we were both waterbenders.

“Then began the training. The tireless, endless, training. It brought out something we had never before seen in him – a darkness, and a severity. Noatak was a prodigy – my father always praised him, and even when he set ever higher standards for him, Noatak was up for the challenge. I struggled, in comparison, and my father punished me severely for it. Noatak tried to protect me… but being the prodigy came with its own challenges.

“When I was seven, my father took Noatak and I on our first hunting trip. However, it was no ordinary excursion. It was then that he revealed to both of us who he really was – Yakon, the infamous bloodbender. This hunting trip, and the subsequent trips afterwards, were utilized for one reason, and one reason alone – to teach my brother and I to bloodbend.

“I hated it, when I was a child. My father would take us out, under the full moon, and have us practice on the animals we found there. I didn’t have the stomach for it, if you can believe it. But Noatak, once again, was a prodigy. He seemed to revel in this newfound power, mastering Yakon’s psychic bloodbending technique by the time he was only fourteen.”

I gasped, the statement pulling me out of Tarrlok’s story and back into the present, as Tarrlok leveled me with a gaze that was equal parts determination and pity. I knew exactly why he was looking at me this way – I had barely withstood Tarrlok’s own bloodbending – I had barely been able to break it using my own will. But Amon… his bloodbending was far more powerful, far more terrifying. He had not only trained under Yakon, but he had mastered such a powerful, rare technique, and before he had even turned sixteen. It chilled me to my core, as Tarrlok continued with his story.

“Our father pushed us to extremes, and on one such day, he forced Noatak and I to bloodbend each other. He bent me with no qualms, but when I refused to return the favor, our father snapped. When Yakon turned to strike me – Noatak bloodbent his own father.

“Afterwards, he knew he could no longer return home with us, and I knew it as well. He had made his choice – he had stood against his family, and there would be no going back. He asked me to leave with him, but I refused to leave without our mother. That was the last time I saw him. I thought he perished out in the cold, in the storms that followed – but, it appears he did not.”

Tarrlok surveyed us as he ended his story, wrapping his arms around his knees tightly.

“Yakon had bestowed upon us a curse – and that curse was not bloodbending itself, but rather our father’s thirst for revenge. I thought I had broken it, and I’m sure Noatak did too. But we both ended up here, in Republic City, with our own ghosts haunting us, driving us forward in hopes of ruling this city. I thought that I was righteous, following the system set in place, but I was just as corrupt as Yakon was, when he ruled Republic City from its depths. And Amon, even though his movement is based on a lie, is no less dangerous. I truly think that Noatak believes that he’s righteous himself, that equalizing the world will bring peace – but deep down, that is a lie. What he craves is power, the same as me, and the same as my father. That is the curse of Yakon.”

“That’s… the saddest story I’ve ever heard,” Korra mumbled, but her words fell flat, as I processed what Tarrlok had said. The curse, that he had said flowed through us… was not Yakon’s bloodbending, but was instead his thirst for power? I stared at Tarrlok, my eyebrows furrowed, as he faced Korra.

“Avatar Korra, I am deeply sorry for everything that I have done to you. I thought that I was doing good… but really, I was just hurting others,” Tarrlok sighed, his shoulders dropping as he faced Korra, then directed his attention towards me.

“And you, as well,” he addressed me, nodding his head towards me. I bit my lip, refusing to do him the favor of inclining my head. “I apologize for all the hurt I’ve caused… the pain I suffered you.”

“Wait,” Mako interrupted, and thank the spirits he did, pulling Tarrlok’s attention away from me. “So are you saying that Amon can take away someone’s bending with his bloodbending?”

“I don’t know how he does it,” Tarrlok admitted, shaking his head. “But then again, I have never encountered a bender as strong as Noatak… he’s one of the strongest benders I have ever met,” Tarrlok stated, staring directly at me, as if his eyes could bore into my soul. I stood stock still, taking in what he had said – what Amon was.

What he was saying I would have to do.

What I had already known, instinctually, that I would have to do.

“How can we beat him?” Korra asked, her brow furrowed in worry.

“We can’t,” Mako replied. “Any attack we throw at him he can redirect with his mind. That’s how he’s been able to challenge any bender.”

Mako’s words echoed in my mind, and I gasped, louder this time.

When I had faced Amon in the arena before – that’s the cold, terrible sensation I had felt. That was his blood grip.

And I had _broken_ it.

“Taro?”

Korra and Mako were both looking at me, and I shook my head, willing my heartrate to slow. I couldn’t let them know – not now, not yet. I had to keep this team together, and that meant that no one could know I was a bloodbender until the very last second.

“I-I’m sorry, I just realized what happened when I faced Amon in the arena – he tried to bloodbend me,” I stumbled over my words, my head still spinning. I caught Tarrlok’s eye, and he stared me down, almost as if he was willing me to meld minds with him, and understand what he meant.

Despite myself, I nodded. Not because I needed his help, or because I would be doing this for him, or for our family’s reputation – but because now I knew I had a fighting chance.

“Well, if we stay here, we’re toast,” Korra continued, throwing her hands up as she paced. “So much for our ambush. Amon’ll snap us like twigs!”

Then, the stopped, turning to both of us, her eyes bright. “But there’s another way to beat him!”

“How?” Mako and I asked in unison, our voices harmonizing as Korra’s grin grew.

“This whole time, Amon has been two steps ahead of us, but finally, _we’re_ ahead of _him_! If we expose him as a waterbender –“

“It’ll undermine his entire cause! It’ll expose him as a fraud!” I finished, my excitement growing with Korra’s as she gestured excitedly.

“If we expose him at the rally – it’ll destroy his whole revolution!” Mako joined in, his own smile growing, and I crossed my arms, chuckling a little. Spirits, hopefully I wouldn’t even have to use my bloodbending.

For once, Tarrlok had done the right thing.

Too little, too late, but I still appreciated it.

“Thank you, for your help,” Korra mumbled, his face falling as he spoke to Tarrlok, her voice soft. He looked down, dejected, and I hesitated. He was a horrible, horrible, man… but maybe, he had the will to change.

“You can help us,” I said, stepping towards the lock, holding it in my hand. “We can break you out, and –“

“Go,” he pleaded, his eyes mournful. “Amon can’t know you were here – and I’m no use to you anymore.”

The gaze we shared was something I would never forget – there was sadness there, and pain, as Tarrlok lamented his life, and all the ways he had failed the people of his city – the members of his own family. But there was also some sliver of pride, as he looked at me. A flicker of hope.

He stood, gripping the bars of the prison with white knuckles, and staring me directly in the face.

“Go. Defeat Noatak. End this curse once and for all.”

I nodded, my jaw set as I stepped away from the bars, and my father. Korra and Mako were already headed for the attic door, but I lingered, for only a moment.

“Thank you,” I said, my head held high as I addressed Tarrlok. I didn’t exactly know what I was thanking him for – it was a nebulous thing. Maybe it was for being my father – for bestowing me with bloodbending, so that I could face Amon. Maybe it was to thank him for the information he gave us, and for the knowledge he offered – he _did_ teach me how to bloodbend another human, in a way. Or maybe, I was thanking him for trying to change. For trying to do the right thing, for once in his life.

“Go,” he insisted, and I nodded, throwing myself down the attic ladder, shutting the trap door after me.

I was ready, now.


	21. Endgame - Between Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra, Mako, and Taro face Amon at the equalist rally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning - i have made some drastic changes to the ending of season one. if you're a canon purist... you probably won't like it, lol

It was strange, standing on the pro bending platform again. As I looked across the arena – still filled with a cacophony of noises, the sounds assaulting me – I was reminded of all the other times I had stood in this exact same spot. Before my own pro bending matches, when I had first arrived in Republic City, my eyes bright with excitement. When I had been reunited with Korra on this exact same platform, what seemed like forever ago. And when I had thrown myself from it to face Amon, only moments before the arena exploded around us. It was a strange sensation, standing here once more, Amon’s icy presence sinking into my veins as he rose onto his platform, mask obscuring his face. I wondered – could he feel my presence too?

“Thank you all, for joining me on this historic day,” Amon’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers as he addressed his people. His voice, more than anything, made my blood run cold, as I stood beside Korra and Mako, and watched as he commanded his followers. His followers, who didn’t know how much of a liar, how much of a coward he was. I sneered at him from under my own mask.

“When I was a little boy, a firebender struck my family down, and left me scarred,” Amon continued, the equalists watching with rapt attention as he spoke – a line of chi blockers behind him, five in a row, his mustached second in command only a step in front of them, by Amon’s side, as he spoke.

“It was on that tragic day, that I began my quest to equalize the world,” he yelled, and Korra took this as her chance to strike – to finally expose Amon for what he really was.

“That’s a lie, Amon!” Korra cried, stepping forward, her voice booming over the crowd as she ripped off her mask. I followed suit, finally leveling Amon’s emotionless façade with my own harsh glare. Even though the dread swirled inside me, it didn’t weigh me down, nor did it frighten me. It reminded me of who I was – who Amon was. It reminded me that I had broken his blood grip once before, and I could do it again.

“Or should I call you Noatak?” She questioned, head held high as the entire arena fixated on us. I sank lower into my stance, preparing for any equalists to attack us from the back of the platform – but the attack didn’t come.

“Everyone calm down,” Amon commanded, raising a hand as he addressed his people. “We have nothing to fear from the Avatar. Let us hear what she has to say.”

The words sent chills through my spine – completely different from the cold that ran through my veins. If Amon was letting Korra speak – spirits, was he a step ahead _again_?

But I couldn’t stop her – I couldn’t tell Korra to wait, or that something felt wrong. Instead she leaned out across the railing, pointing at Amon as she addressed the crowd.

“Amon has been lying to you this whole time!” she yelled, “the spirits didn’t give him the power to take people’s bending away – he uses bloodbending to do it! Amon is a waterbender!”

Korra pointed a finger directly at Amon, her voice loud and firm as she spoke her part, but I was shaking my head, with how calm Amon was, how he all but reveled in it as his believers gasped in shock, mumbled their doubts amongst themselves. He had some sort of trick up his sleeve.

“You’re desperate, Avatar,” Amon declared, shaking his head as he stepped forward once more. “Making up stories about me is a pathetic last resort.”

“Your family wasn’t killed by a firebender –“ Korra continued, undeterred, “-his father was Yakon! And his brother is councilman Tarrlok!”

I bit my lip to keep quiet, as the crowd stirred at the reveal of such a distressing family tree. The way Korra spoke this truth, with such determination, such anger – it almost made me flinch at the severity.

“An amusing tale,” Amon deflected, snapping back his hood. My eyes widened – all the times we had fought against him, and I had never once seen a sliver of his skin, covered by his long sleeved shirt, gloves, mask, and hood. But, as he removed it, he revealed dark brown hair – a water tribe coloring.

I felt sick to my stomach. I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, Tarrlok was wrong – that Amon wasn’t his brother, that he wasn’t my uncle – but as he removed his mask, I knew.

“But I will show you the truth,” he growled, his face marred by a scar that transversed from his forehead to his chin, scraping over his nose and across part of his lip. But even through the scar – whether it was fake, or real –

He looked like me. He looked like Tarrlok – the cut of his jaw, the shape of his eyes. Even his hairline matched up. But, the audience wouldn’t have known what to look for, and they instead gawked at the sight of him – blinded by the scar, no longer searching for the water tribe features that painted his complexion and facial structure, clear as day.

“This is what a firebender did to me!” Amon cried, pointing to himself, emotion on his face for the first time – but not reaching his eyes.

“What?” Korra panicked, staring from Mako to myself. While Mako was just a shocked, I was stone cold.

“Tarrlok was right, but he was one step ahead – again,” I growled, never taking my eyes off of Amon as he replaced his mask and hood.

“I’m telling you, he’s a waterbender!” Korra cried, pleading with the crowd, that was now throwing itself into a frenzy, shouting right back at Korra as she tried to explain. “Look at his hair – his, his eyes! He’s a member of the water tribe!”

But we had more than just an angry crowd to worry about. The guards that I had previously expected to corner us on the platform had finally shown up, spinning their tripwires as they closed in.

“They don’t believe me!” Korra lamented, his voice cracking as she turned to Mako and I.

“I think we have more pressing matters at hand,” I grumbled as a reply, my stance low as the chi blockers closed in. I didn’t have any water on me – a heavy water skin would have given me away easily in my disguise. I still lowered myself into a fighting stance as Mako guarded me from one side, Korra the other, leveling their fists at the equalists, ready to firebend at any moment should the chi blockers make a move.

“We said what we had to,” Mako mumbled, nodding towards the exit. “Let’s get out of here.”

We made our way to the exit, Korra, Mako and I, all on high alert as we stood off against the equalists. That was, until Amon spoke again.

“I wouldn’t leave yet, Avatar,” he spoke low, a faint chuckle to his cadence. “Or you’ll miss the main event.”

I was inclined to ignore Amon – to continue our escape – but a mechanical whirring caught all of our attentions, and our heads snapped towards the stage. The stage, where the last four airbenders now resided, tied to metal poles. My mouth hung open, and I exhaled hard, my heart pounding under my ribs.

“No,” Korra breathed, her voice wavering. “They got away! We- we watched them get away!”

Her voice was desperate, almost pleading for her eyes to deceive her, for this to be another one of Amon’s tricks. But it wasn’t, and instead of fear, or desperation, my own disbelief turned to white hot rage.

“Tonight, I rid the world of airbending – forever!” Amon roared, his followers cheering, a deafening thing that pounded hard in my ears, a million times louder than the crowd at any pro bending match, as my eyes fixated on the object of my rage.

“Amon, let them go!” Korra demanded, her own fury building as she addressed him, and I grit my teeth.

“You’re welcome to come down here and try to stop me,” Amon offered, his arms open wide as he taunted us. I growled, an audible expression of the all-consuming anger that was building within me.

“He’s trying to bait us – “ Mako warned, trying to calm Korra – and myself, as well. He had seen me at the Revelation, he knew how I was – but I wouldn’t budge.

“I don’t care!” Korra and I both replied, my own sounding cold and harsh, while Korra’s voice was a plaintive cry.

“We have to save them!” she added, gesturing towards the family – toward Tenzin’s terrified eyes, his children struggling against their bonds. I didn’t know them as well as Korra did, but something still tugged at me – not so much a desire to protect, but one to destroy. Amon had plunged the city into a state of fear, of terror – as he flaunted his power in front of everyone and called it divine justice. Well, I had a power of my own. And I wanted nothing more than to break Yakon’s curse.

“It seems the Avatar needs to be reminded of the power I possess,” Amon cackled, striding towards the airbenders so casually, as he threw the words over his shoulder, almost an afterthought. I seethed, but before I could move –

Mako. It was Mako who snapped first, jutting his fingers into the air, and directing the energy through them until it surged out of him in a bolt of hot electricity, frying the stage where Amon had once stood. The crowd screamed, and I knew if we had even a sliver of a chance to save the airbenders, that now was the time to move. 

Korra and Mako flew to the wall of the arena, using their firebending to keep themselves upright as they hurdled towards the stage, but I wasn’t so lucky. Without the aid of my bending, I threw myself from the balcony platform, screaming to the equalists below to watch out. They didn’t need to be told twice, already feeing from Mako’s lightning bolt blast. I breathed out, relaxing my muscles with my bloodbending as I fell, throwing myself forward into a roll to cushion the fall. It wasn’t my favorite landing, but it was clean, and besides a sting in my hands, I was unscathed as I rolled forward and flew to my feet, never missing a beat as I ran towards Tenzin and his family, throwing myself onto the stage mere seconds after Korra and Mako hit the floor.

The stage was ingulfed in flame, but I ignored it, trusting Mako and Korra to divert their fire as I swung low, knocking a chi-blocker’s feet out from under them, surprising them as they instead focused on the fire flying from my companions. I had no water, but it didn’t matter – I didn’t need bending to take down a chi blocker.

I ducked as the chi blocker tried to jab my arm, the fight more of a dance as we bobbed and weaved. It was like a one-on-three. All I had to do was wait for my moment –

I struck, punching the chi blocker straight in the throat – a spot they hadn’t thought to protect. I smirked, landing a few more lightning-fast punches to their ribs, and a palm strike to their sternum. The chi-blocked choked, falling backwards, into the waiting arms of one of their allies, as the group retreated. I allowed myself a moment to grin, before my face fell and I returned to the task at hand – saving the airbenders.

Luckily, Korra was already on it, and I ducked, plastering myself to the stage as Tenzin joined the fight, blasting a tunnel of air right next to where my head use to reside. I sprung backwards, retreating as Mako and Tenzin took over for me, and the last equalists fell. All except for Amon, who evaded every burst of flame, every funnel of air.

That was, until Mako and Tenzin worked together. Mako threw a barrage of flame at Amon, and while he was distracted – flipping through the air – Tenzin sunk low, pushing outwards, a wall of air that no one could have blocked. It slammed into Amon, knocking him clean off the stage as I watched in rapt interest.

“We have to go!” Tenzin yelled, snapping me out of my reverie, as I stared across the stage, where Amon once was. I felt the terrible, desperate urge to follow my uncle, to finish him off myself – but I knew I was needed elsewhere.

We scrambled out of the arena, through the back door to the stage. Korra had managed to free every last airbending kid, and Tenzin ushered them out, Mako, Korra, and I on their heels.

“Get them out of here!” Korra demanded, gesturing towards the tunnel that would lead to the exit. “We’ll create a diversion.”

Mako and I nodded, even as he eyed me with worry. It seems that they hadn’t realized until now that I was out of my element – literally, without any water on me. It had always been a challenge for me before, searching for water. At the Revelation - and even when we cruised the city at night, I had always needed a water skin. Mako had been concerned then too, of my overzealous nature, despite my crutch.

Well, he didn’t need to worry anymore. I didn’t need water to defeat Amon.

“Come on kids, let’s go get your mother and the baby,” Tenzin urged, herding the kids down the hallway.

“Prison break!” Milo yelled, jumping a full two feet in the air, aided by his airbending. Spirits, how I wished I was him – young, and unable to understand the terrible situation we were all in.

It was mere seconds after they left, seconds after I had wished for childlike innocence, that Amon peeked through the door. And all wishful thinking left my head as ice coated my veins, as Amon stared us all down with his cold, dead eyes.

I bolted, hot on Mako’s heels as we took the opposite tunnel, leading Amon away from the airbenders. Through the terror, and the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I realized that even though we hadn’t convinced Amon’s followers of his lineage, we had managed to paint a target on our backs. Amon now knew that we had knowledge of who he was, and he cared more about that than he did a family of airbenders, as he threw himself full-tilt down the halls, even as Korra threw up wall after wall of flame to deter him.

Mako threw open the door to a storeroom, and I flew into it after him, Korra right behind us as we hid. I threw myself behind a large box on the left side of the room, squeezing my body between the structure and the wall, while Mako and Korra hid on the other side of the room.

I took an extra second to breathe. I breathed in, drawing my hands together in a triangle at my chest, and as I exhaled, I pressed outward the best I could in the cramped space. I could feel my breathing calm, my blood slow as I bent my own flesh and blood.

I had to be focused when I faced Amon. And I had to be ready.

The door to the storage room creaked open, squeaking against its hinges as Amon crept carefully along the wooden floors. I could tell it was him, without even looking – the ice that spread through my veins was evidence enough of that. But it felt… different, somehow, the cold. Usually, it was a solid, expected, thing, like the chill of the ice in the South Pole – a biting wind, the wetness of snow on your cheek.

But this was different. This was the howl of a blizzard, and the erratic nature of its wind – sweeping over you and knocking you off your feet once minute, the next a calm breeze, almost devoid of cold altogether.

He was searching. Spirits – he was using his bloodbending to sense the others in the room. And if he could do that –

“Augh!” Korra screamed, her pained cry echoing in the dimness of the room.

I threw myself from my hiding place, almost falling with the severity – _Korra_ , I should have stayed with her, I should have hid with her –

Before I could move to attack, to rip Korra from Amon’s blood grip, Mako flew from his own alcove as well, blasting a massive blaze of flame at Amon. I exhaled hard, my breath caught as I waited for it to reach him, as Mako screamed at him to let Korra go –

But it never did. Amon only had to move a centimeter before he had Mako in his clutches – and then –

Before I could even take a step, Amon’s blood grip caught me as well. I gasped, exhaling hard, willing my body not to fight it – spirits, it was tough, the extent of Amon’s complete blood grip on my muscles felt like iron, even as he manipulated the three of us at once. I struggled to breathe, but I managed it – even, willing the air to cleanse my body.

It was like nothing I had ever felt. Tarrlok’s blood grip was shocking, and foreboding, but this? This was less of a grip and more of a vice, as I tried to keep my composure. This wasn’t something I would be able to slip out of, like I had in the arena, so long ago. That hadn’t been a blood grip – that had been a nudge, a push in a direction that I was able to sidestep just in time. But _this_ – this was an iron cage that I would need to crack slowly, as I breathed steadily, Amon slamming us into the cold, hard floor.

My face pressed to the tile, I willed my breathing to calm. I had to break free, I had to –

“No!” Mako croaked, his voice strained under the weight of Amon’s grip. I gasped, the blood draining from my face, as I opened my eyes and faced the reality of our situation.

Amon held Korra upright in his grip, even as she strained against him, even as she writhed. He drew ever closer, his hand held high, and I knew what he was about to do.

“No, let her go!” I pressed against the blood grip with all my might – fighting against it with my whole will, even though I knew I hadn’t yet bloodbent my own body to its full extent, even though I screamed in pain as I tried to move, and Amon’s bloodbending curled my own muscles back into me. Tears formed at the edges of my eyes as he finally stopped in front of Korra, a hand to the nape of her neck.

“No!” she cried, her face pinched in pain.

“Korra!” Mako yelled, still straining against Amon’s grip. I could only scream – a lamenting, painful thing as I tried, and tried, and _tried_ to fight against Amon’s grip and failed, even as he placed his thumb to Korra’s forehead.

It was gone. We had lost – I had lost.

I felt something die inside me then. Only for a moment – a small, icy thing, broke inside my chest, shattering as Korra breathed out, as her eyes fluttered closed.

But as she fell to the floor, something else grew in its place. A warmth spread – a fiery, hot thing, that stabbed somewhere between knives and needles, between fire and ice. Something that as I breathed out, filled me up with power – and white hot, unnatural rage.

Amon spoke, but whatever he said was irrelevant, sounding like waves crashing over a beach, or static on an untuned radio, as the frigid heat flowed over me. I breathed in, and willed it down – into my veins, my muscles, my limbs, as Amon moved on to Mako, Korra floundering helplessly on the ground as she tried to bend at him, but was unable.

“Amon!”

The voice broke through my barrier, ringing in my ears as I breathed in, then out, gathering power, leaning into Amon’s blood grip as I tried to regain my strength. I couldn’t break it – not yet, not now. But Amon was not as strong as he thought he was. And he was nowhere near as full of rage as I was.

“It’s all a lie, isn’t it? I just saw you bloodbend her!” It was the man with the mustache, Amon’s right hand, pointing a finger directly at him, as Amon focused his power on Mako.

“You traitor! I dedicated my life to you!” he screamed, ripping off his mask and throwing it to the floor, his foot connecting with a sickening crunch. He wasted no time, instead using his own momentum to rush towards Amon.

He didn’t get far. I didn’t expect him to. With one swift grip, Amon had him under his spell too. But with his bending stretched so thin, I could start to regain myself. I breathed out, willing my bending to pass through my limbs once more – and there were my fingers, my toes, prickling with resistance as I regained myself. Even Mako gasped against his grip, struggling to use brute force to snap out of Amon’s grasp.

“You served me well, lieutenant,” Amon mumbled, low, heartless. He didn’t hesitate – he tossed the man, his most adamant supporter – into a waiting stack of wood and metal, the sound of impact sickening, between the crash of the wood and the crunch of bone. The lieutenant fell. And he did not rise again.

Amon didn’t dwell over his fallen soldier. He didn’t waste time. He stepped forward, drawing his hand upward, Mako rising with it. He didn’t even rest on his own knees as Amon lifted him, instead, dangling freely in the air.

And spirits, I gasped, as Mako strained against Amon’s bloodbending, because I could see it. I could see the way Mako’s fingers were positioned, I could see the strain as he tried to bend –

But with one flick of his wrist, all that work was undone, as Amon forced Mako’s hands to his sides. I cried out, Bolin’s words echoing in my mind – him begging me to protect his brother, to bring him home, and my only promise to him –

“No!” I shrieked, the exhale of my breath only stoking the fire within me, my muscles tingling at the feeling of it, as Mako tumbled to the ground in a heap. Korra sobbed, throwing herself on top of him, shrieking like I had never heard her before.

“Stop! You already won!” She cried, as his grip focused solely on me – as I choked out a gasp, Amon’s grip forcing me to my feet. I was so close, so close to being free from his grip. But what was the point? Mako was stripped of his bending, coughing on the floor, as Korra held his head to her chest, sobbing at their combined loss.

But, as I lifted from the earth, my feet dangling under me, I remembered all the other benders I had been unable to save. The triple threats, the Wolfbats – the countless benders that Amon had no doubt equalized as we waited for the United Forces to arrive, desperate to win the fight.

I may have lost this battle – I may have lost Korra’s bending, and Mako’s as well – but I refused to lose the war. I refused to let another bender suffer that same fate, whether it was a friend I loved dearly, or a stranger I had never once set eyes on. I wouldn’t fail.

“Hello, little waterbender,” Amon drawled, taking his time as he drew me close to him. I feigned a struggle, sneering at him as he drew me in. “I spared you once, and you continued to fight. I gave you a second chance, and you still ran right back to me, kicking and screaming. And now, your fight will end, just like your friends’.”

Amon placed a hand on the back on my neck, and as he drew closer, I felt his power waver – drain from my body as he focused it onto his opposite hand, the one that was poised over my face. But I didn’t cower in the face of his bloodbending. I didn’t even flinch.

“ _I don’t think so_.”

I gathered all my strength – white, icy hot, into my veins. My body snapped back into itself as I broke free of his blood hold, as I reclaimed my own energy, and spun his own force back onto him – I felt power like none I had ever felt before surge through my bending as I directed it at Amon, in the split second where his eyes widened, and his bending failed. I knew I only had a second, or maybe two, and I intended to use them to their fullest.

I stood upright – tall, strong, and I breathed in through my nose, staring Amon straight in the face as I drew my arms back and pushed, the force unlike anything I had ever exerted before, never when pushing a wave, or a stream or water, or even ice, had I ever exerted my power like this before.

And he screamed. He screamed as he sailed backwards, into the same pile of wood and metal he had thrown his own lieutenant into, the same way he had betrayed his own cause.

“We have to go!” I screamed, my voice cracking like nothing else, as the beams and pipes fell on top of Amon, crushing him to the ground – but I knew it wouldn’t hold him for long.

Mako groaned, barely conscious, Korra splayed out over him, her own eyes drooping as she held him. My heart skipped – I had failed them, I had _failed_ – but I had no time to consider it. Instead, I scooped Korra up under one arm, and Mako the other, shrieking as I tried to hoist them both at the same time. Their dead weight groaned against my muscles, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

“Taro – what?” Korra mumbled, but I shook my head. If she was conscious, she had to move. I had no time to explain.

“Help me carry Mako! We have to get out of here – now!” as I yelled, as the wood behind us rattled, and fear-adrenaline surged through my veins like a shot of lightning. “Move!”

Korra stumbled to her feet, eyes still wet with tears as we shouldered Mako’s weight between us, stumbling as we lurched into the hallway, running as fast as our unstable feet could carry us. I may have been able to break Amon’s blood grip, but that didn’t mean that I was free from injury – the strain from bending my own limbs already taking its toll as my muscles screamed in agony.

“What happened?” Mako mumbled, starting to come to as we scrambled down the hall, his words slurred. “How did you-“

Before he could even finish his sentence, I screamed.

Amon had already recovered, and his grip on me this time was even tighter – I collapsed to the ground, the air forced from me as Korra looked on in horror, both her and Mako tumbling to the floor as I screeched – a horrible, brutal, guttural noise, as Amon made sure to bend my arms to my sides, my ankles together, the muscles in my chest forced to lock so I couldn’t even breathe as he turned me mid-air and pulled me towards him. One of his arms hung limply at his side, as he used the other to pull me closer, a splash of blood spattered on his mask as he faced me. I could feel the crazed energy radiating off of him as he retched me closer – his movements jerky and pained.

“ _Who are you?_ ” He demanded, his voice catching as he crushed my lungs and I, unable to breathe, could do nothing to combat his grip. I choked - a wet, desperate sound - as he finally locked me in place, my head tilted so I could see his eyes – his eyes, the same shade as mine, unhinged and terrified, the same as my father’s had been.

He didn’t wait for an answer – he didn’t seem to want one, as his grip closed, his hand tightening. I choked on air, struggling for breath, as my windpipe was forced shut, the muscles contracting as I gasped, hacked –

I couldn’t stop it. I had come this far, but the light started to fade. Around Amon, it faltered, fading from white, to grey, to black, flickering in my vision as I struggled to hold on, as I fought, fruitlessly against his grip. He wasn’t here to take my bending from me. He wasn’t here to knock me unconscious – he was here to _kill_ me. Afraid of my power, afraid of my will, he clenched his fist, and something behind my eyes popped.

This was it. My body went limp in his hold, and my vision started to fade. Just when I thought it was all over –

“No!”

I was flung from my position, slamming into the metal of the wall as Amon’s blood grip fell. I shrieked – air filling my lungs, my head slamming against the hard steel as sharp sparks lit behind my eyes. My lungs burned as I came to myself, my eyes fluttering open, only to see –

“Impossible,” Amon coughed, shaky on his feet. Mako, a few yards back, watched in awe as Korra leaned heavily against the wall, shocked as much as the rest of us.

“I- I can airbend?” she gasped, and I could barely hear her through the ringing in my ears, but I was sure that was what she said, as her shock turned to determination, as her fist tightened in front of her.

“I can _airbend_!” She yelled, pushing off the wall and standing on her own two feet, firm, in the middle of the corridor. I could only watch as she pulled the power of air from within herself, surging forward to meet Amon head on.

She threw punches in quick succession, knocking Amon off his feet and into one wall, and then another, pummeling him down the corridor. I stumbled to my own feet, falling to my knees even as my lungs screamed in protest.

Amon slammed into the floor, in front of a window. But, even through his injuries, he refused to stand down.

He flew to his feet, locking his heels into a firm stance as he gripped at Korra – and she screamed again, caught within his blood grip. I knew what he wanted, and I refused.

“No more!” I screamed, leaning heavily against the wall as I stood firm on my own feet and _ripped_. It rippled through my bending like nothing I had ever felt before, as I threw my left hand to the sky, my right hand crossing over my chest before pointing towards the floor. I felt Amon’s grip snap under my hold, and Korra roared.

“No you don’t!” she shrieked, regaining control of her leg just enough to push outward, the air tossing Amon through the glass window – and into the bay below.

I collapsed immediately, falling to my knees as Mako and Korra stumbled to the window. Mako offered me his arm, and I accepted, the three of us stumbling to lean against the frame and look out across the bay.

Amon’s mask was the first to surface, the equalists below gasping, grumbling indignantly at the sight of their leader’s power, that their Amon could have been assaulted in such a way –

But then, the water exploded from behind them, and they screamed. Amon rose up in the pillar of water, his own arm extended as blood ran down his face, as he leveled a terrifying scowl at us.

However, it wasn’t only us that Amon had to worry about. The equalists below cried out in shock and horror, the cacophony of their gossip growing until even I could hear it from the arena above – Amon was a waterbender, and the Avatar had told the truth.

Amon took one last look at us – one last, long look at me – before he retreated, plunging himself into the depths of the water. Korra cried out, leveling well-placed rockets of air in his path as he attempted to escape – but she was unsuccessful, and he retreated into the bay, the dark shadow of his figure slipping out of our field of vision.

Korra and Mako fell into each other – both of them exhausted, the strain of the loss of their bending causing them to fall into each other, holding on tightly to keep their grip. I, on the other hand, only held tightly to the corner of the window frame, the air in my lungs scraping like glass, my own limbs as heavy as iron.

But it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter how I felt, or how weakly I wobbled on my own two feet. Amon was gone – defeated, disgraced, as he ran from his own followers. And I prayed he would never return.


	22. Endgame - The Blood of the Covenant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, Taro must deal with the aftermath of the fight with Amon. Both Korra and Mako have lost their bending. And now, her secret is finally out.

> _“Almost everyone believes “blood is thicker than water” means that family is more important than friendships or that family bonds are closer than friendship._
> 
> _The full quote, however, is:_
> 
> **_“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”_ **
> 
> _The original meaning of the phrase was blood shed on the battlefield creates a stronger bond between soldiers than simple familial or genetic ties.”_

It was painful, to make our way out of the arena. Not just physically, even as my knees locked up under me, my limbs failing to move as they should – but also emotionally. Korra and Mako hardly said a word to me as the three of us trudged downstairs, our footsteps heavy, our breathing labored.

“So,” Mako broke the silence, his own voice strained as he shot me a look. “You’re a bloodbender, aren’t you.”

I closed my eyes, wishing I could run or hide – but I couldn’t. And I shouldn’t. I had done my part – I had completed the one thing I was holding out for, the one reason why I had kept my abilities secret. And Mako and Korra deserved to know the truth.

“Yes. I’m a bloodbender,” I replied, as I helped Korra down the stairs, her legs buckling at the strain as she gasped, staring hard at me.

“You- how?” she stuttered, as I tried my best to keep her upright, Mako holding her from the opposite side. I sighed, closing my eyes, as I willed back tears. I was completely ready for them all to shun me, to throw me into the bay after Amon.

“I’m Tarrlok’s daughter,” I admitted, my voice strained. “I didn’t know until Tarrlok kidnapped me – and I’m sorry. I should have told you – but I thought that if you knew, you would push me away, and I wouldn’t be able to protect you from Amon. Turns out I couldn’t protect you anyway.”

I dropped my head, not wanting to see the looks on Korra or Mako’s faces as I admitted what I was – who I was. It twisted deep in my gut, the fact that I had lied to them for so long, that I had bent the truth in order to stay close to them. In order to protect them. And even then, I couldn’t.

I was prepared for their shock, for hatred, even. I was prepared for shouting, and screaming, or hushed looks of disgust as Korra and Mako pulled away from me. But what I didn’t expect was the arm wrapped around my waist for stability to pull me in tighter, Korra throwing her other arm around my shoulders for a tight hug – or, as tight as she could manage.

My eyes widened as she hugged me, my frame limp under her grip as she squeezed me tight, her words hushed, but full of such deep emotion that they left me breathless.

“Taro, without you, we would have never stopped Amon,” Korra squeezed me tight as she said it, even though I could hear the waver in her voice, the unshed tears. “I know you feel like you failed, but the world is so much more than just the Avatar. And you helped to save it – any way you could.”

My hands tangled in Korra’s shirt, my lip quivering as I willed myself not to sob. The emotion caught in my throat, and I hugged her back, trying not to break down.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice cracking, the words sticking in my throat. There was so much more I needed to say – that I was sorry, that I was so, _so_ sorry, that I would do everything I could to help restore Korra’s bending, and Mako’s and everyone else’s – but the words didn’t come. Instead, I pulled back, only to catch Mako’s gaze.

His expression was unreadable, his mouth a hard line as he watched me – but I could make out some of his emotion, even through his cold exterior. There was doubt, there. Doubt about me, a watchful eye that wasn’t sure how to describe or define me – that wasn’t trusting, or accepting, as Korra was. There was understanding – a coming together of ideas, clicking in his brain as he watched me. And there was fear. It was hidden well – much better than Tarrlok or even Amon hid the emotion, but it was there. And it chilled me.

I didn’t speak as we traveled back to air temple island. It was more than enough time for the reality of everything to truly sink in, as the crowds outside the arena cheered for Korra, accepting their Avatar once more. The cheers only drove me further into myself, as my thoughts flew back to Amon, of the look on his face as I flung him through the air. The power that still pumped through my veins, the sparks still running through my fingertips.

X

“Korra! Mako! Taro!”

I was snapped out of my reverie, as I stood on the dock of air temple island, the airbender family reunited behind me, Mako and Korra in front. The rest of our party had arrived – returned from the airfields, where they had won the day as well. Bolin was shouting, his face bright and full of life – until he caught sight of his brother.

I hung my head as he approached, his voice wavering.

“Mako? Is everything-“

“Amon took my bending,” Mako admitted, and Asami gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth, as General Iroh and Beifong hung their heads. “Korra’s too.”

“Well, he didn’t take all of it,” she quirked a sad half smile. “I finally unlocked my airbending.”

Her quip didn’t lighten the mood at all, as I locked eyes with Bolin – his face spoke of betrayal, of such grief that I couldn’t bare it.

“Did he take your bending too, Taro?” Asami asked, and bile rose in my throat at the short half-glance Mako shot at me. It wasn’t full of hate, but it did sting of justice. Of the fact that he knew I would now have to admit what I was.

“No, he didn’t,” I sighed, still hanging my head, cradling myself in my own arms.

“Well hey, that’s something!” Bolin tried, although even his voice strained to stay positive in the face of his brother’s loss. It bubbled with sadness, directly under the surface, as he forced a smile onto his face. “And Korra’s got her airbending – that’s good, right?”

I stared at him. Bolin’s eyes pricking with tears even as he smiled at me, tried to make me laugh. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“The only reason I still have my bending is because I broke Amon’s blood grip. Because I’m a bloodbender.”

The blunt statement had the intended effect on Iroh, Beifong, and Asami. Theirexpressions morphed – Asami took a step back, actually, reeling in shock as I faced them, head held high. Iroh tried to hold his composure, but, like Mako, I could see a break in his façade, a bit of fear, a sliver of distaste. Beifong glared – irritated, disgusted at me – likely because I had lied to them, because I had withheld my identity for so long.

But, it wasn’t their expressions that shocked me. No, _their_ expressions I had prepared for.

What shocked me was Bolin.

He smiled – a strange mixture of relief, of grief, even of elation as he laughed. His voice was watery, as tears began to flow freely down his face, his body shaking as he chuckled at me. I could only stand there, wide-eyed, as Bolin wiped the tears from his eyes, his smile never dying.

“I-I thought you might be,” he choked out, between sobs, shooting me that smile – that genuine, full-blown smile, and I couldn’t breathe.

“You knew?” Korra gasped, and Bolin nodded, still trying to wipe his tears.

“After our game against the Buzzard Wasps? You know, the one where I messed up my shoulder real bad?” he offered, and Korra nodded, her brows scrunched together in confusion – the same as mine, and Mako’s, as he spoke.

“Taro healed me, after you both left. And she didn’t use water. I didn’t think anything of it- until Tarrlok bloodbent us at city hall,” Bolin shot me a stupid half smile as he sniffled, his tears finally clearing up. “It didn’t feel the exact same, but-“

“You never forget a bloodbending grip,” I whispered, in awe, as Bolin shrugged – as everyone else looked on in shock.

“And you didn’t tell anyone?” Mako cried, his voice shaking as he addressed his brother, his hands balled into fists. Bolin didn’t falter, shaking his head.

“I didn’t know for sure,” Bolin replied. “But I _do_ know Taro. And I trusted her – I still trust her.”

“But I couldn’t keep them safe,” I pleaded, my own voice shaking, even as Korra placed a steady hand on my shoulder to comfort me. “I couldn’t save Korra, I couldn’t save your brother, and I _promised_ -“

“We saved Republic City,” Korra reminded me, her grip on my shoulder firm, as she nodded at me. “We did. All of us – including you. Taro.”

“But Amon got away-“

“Who cares about Amon!” Bolin cried, waving his arms wildly. “He can start some weird city at the bottom of the ocean for all I care – but the equalists are gone! The city’s safe! We won!”

Even as the airbenders drew closer, the battleships rounding into the bay in the distance, the children cheering – it still didn’t feel like enough.

I caught eyes with Mako, and for once, his expression was readable. Sad. Pitying.

“But we still lost so much,” I whispered, my eyes still locked with his, even as my friends around me laughed.

X

Immediately after General Bumi landed, Tenzin started herding us onto flying bison, bound for the South Pole.

“If there’s anyone who can heal Korra, it would be my mother,” he explained, as we piled on. “My mother Katara and my sister Kya are the most well-respected healers in the world. They’ll restore her bending.”

The flight was quick, but long enough for me to consider what had happened to me – what had happened to all of us. I was now faced with the reality set before me, the stone cold fact that Mako, Korra, and even Beifong had lost their bending – and that it was likely permanent. And in addition to them, so many others had been equalized as well, stripped of a part of themselves that used to be as natural as breathing.

The solemn air didn’t leave us as we descended, and as soon as we landed, Tenzin ushered Korra towards his mother’s healing hut. Katara stood outside – looking so small next to Kya, as Tenzin and Beifong ushered Korra into the small building, Korra glancing back at us with a terrified expression, not even allowed to say goodbye.

“Come on, kids,” Pema whispered to her children, herding them towards a larger structure. “Why don’t we get some food while Korra gets better.”

The wind whipped through my braid as I watched everyone disperse – Korra and Tenzin to the healing hut, Pema and her children to the dining hall. A member of the White Lotus directed Mako to another small building, Bolin and Asami following him soon after. For a moment, I stood, transfixed in the snow, the wind slicing through my skin, as my best friend’s fate – as the fate of the world – lay in the hands of Katara and Kya.

“Taro!” Asami called, her voice tossed about by the wind. “Come inside, or you’ll freeze!”

I snapped out of it, trudging through the snow and into the small room. It was a tiny residence – with barely enough room for Bolin to pace, his hands laced behind his head as he worried his lip. Mako sat, dejected, on a small chair, as Asami closed the door behind me.

“How long do you think it’ll take for Katara to heal Korra?” Asami asked me, gently, as the door clicked shut behind us. I shook my head, wrapping my arms around my body as I shivered – party from the cold that had become alien to me, over the years, but also in fear – in doubt.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, sinking into a chair opposite Mako, my head bowed. “I’d imagine it would take a few hours to exhaust every technique I ever learned from her.”

“But it’ll work, right?” Bolin asked, his eyes shining in the low light of the room. “There has to be some special healing power Katara has that can fix Korra – right?”

“To be honest with you,” I began, lifting my head. They all looked at me – Asami and Bolin with desperation in their eyes, while Mako’s already held the same dejection I felt right now. He knew, and I knew as well. “I don’t think that Katara or Kya will be able to heal this. I studied under both of them, and I never learned a technique powerful enough to unlock someone’s connection to the elements.”

Asami and Bolin sighed, and my shoulders slumped, even though I knew what I said was accurate. I was holding on for hope, wishing that there was some special technique that Katara had never taught Korra and I, something only she knew, that could fix this. But I wasn’t going to hold my breath over something like that.

“Wait!” Bolin’s head snapped up, and he pointed a finger at me. “Korra said that Amon took everyone’s bending away with bloodbending, right?”

“Yeah…?” I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused by his sudden burst of energy, and even more perplexed as a slow smile spread over his features.

“Well! You’re a bloodbender – and not just any bloodbender – you’re a blood healer! Blood healing beats bloodbending!”

Bolin was shouting, his cheeks pink with color as he addressed me, his revelation echoing off the walls of the room. My mouth fell open, as I considered it for a moment, before I came back to reality and shook my head, waving my arms in front of me.

“No, Bolin, I can’t,” I replied, as I caught Asami’s nervous expression in the corner of my eye. “I think we’ve had enough bloodbending for one day,” I grumbled, looking down.

I didn’t even know if it would work, after all. The most impressive feat of blood healing I had ever accomplished on another person was when I healed Bolin’s shoulder – that was the only blood healing I had ever performed on another person, actually. I didn’t want to subject my friends to another bloodbending grip as I desperately poked around their foreheads, searching for some magic key to unlock their bending.

“You can heal me.”

My head snapped up at that voice, and I was immediately caught in Mako’s gaze, his eyes fierce as he faced me. I stared back, confused, my expression clearly conveying it to him.

“What?” I asked, my voice cracking as I met his stare. Mako didn’t look away, and he didn’t flinch as he implored me again.

“You can try it on me. If it means helping Korra, helping all those people – I’ll do it,” Mako relented, nodding at me. I glanced in shock, from Mako, to his brother. Bolin looked just as surprised as I did – but as he gazed at Mako, I caught another emotion. Hope. A desperate wish for his brother to be healed.

“Mako, you don’t have to do this,” Asami pleaded with him, taking a step towards him, trying to place a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off, instead fixing his stare on me.

“Do it, Taro,” he commanded of me, and I nodded, setting my jaw. I shook as I stood, the tension rising as everyone fixed their attention on me.

“I’m going to need you to lay down,” I asked of him, my voice wavering as my hands shook. Asami gripped her fingers tightly into fists, her labored exhale echoing in the small room as Mako followed my orders, laying down on his back in the small room. I knelt by his side, breathing deeply as I sat.

“Bolin, I’m going to need you to sit by his other side. Help him match his breathing to mine. If our breathing pattern doesn’t match, this will hurt. Tremendously,” I added. Bolin nodded, gripping his brother’s hand tightly, his lips pressed together in a firm, serious line. Mako’s expression never changed, as I asked him one final question.

“Mako,” I asked, my voice low and grave. “Do you trust me?”

It was the same question I had asked Bolin, what felt like years ago, when I healed him at the arena. It was the same thing I had been asking myself since I had discovered my bloodbending – if I still trusted myself. If I was still the same person I was before. If I was still worthy of love and loyalty.

Mako didn’t look away, as he regarded me. His expression was like stone – hard set, but sincere. And when his eyes met mine, there was none of the crushing terror at the knowledge of my bloodbending. There was none of the doubt I had seen, as we carried Korra out of the arena. I didn’t know what had changed, but it had, as Mako replied.

“I trust you.”

That was all I needed. I sank to my knees, resting my hands on my thighs as I commanded Bolin to match my breath. I would be too focused on searching for whatever Amon had done to Mako to make sure that he was breathing properly – instead, that would be Bolin’s job, while I centered myself on the task of restoring Mako’s bending.

For a few moments, I only breathed, watching as Bolin matched to my breath, and Mako to his. We exhaled in unison, and as I moved, I allowed the breathing pattern to continue, for my energy to flow in the same manner as I placed both my thumbs on Mako’s forehead.

It was strange, stretching my perception beyond my own body and into his. He exhaled sharply as my blood grip formed, and I heard Asami make a similar startled noise behind me as I started to strengthen my reach within Mako’s senses, his mind, his self.

I breathed, concentrating on Mako’s blood flow, the way his energy pushed and pulled within his head. It felt strange, as I closed my eyes, caught in focus. My bending shifted past my own body and into his, until I could only focus on the rhythm of his blood in his veins, the flow of the energy within his body, strong and pulsing around his veins as his spirit circulated inside of him, in tandem with his life force.

I pushed and pulled, following the flow of blood and energy, the cycle of it within his forehead – until I felt something strange. The blood continued to flow, undisturbed, through this blockage, but the energy did not. It didn’t just halt the energy – it distorted it, forced it away unnaturally, in a strange path that strained as I followed the flow of energy further.

“I think I found it,” I gasped, my fingers pressing firmer into Mako’s head. Mako groaned under me, but I forced my eyes to stay closed. If I opened them now, I would lose it. “This is going to take time. And I think it’s going to hurt. Breathe with me.”

It did take time. Unlike physical injuries, I couldn’t push and pull the blood in order to redistribute the healing flow, and unlike mental disturbances, this was far different than a simple skip in the heart that could be corrected, or a surplus of fear that needed to be regulated. This was something new – something I had never attempted to work through, even on my own body. The energy flowed in tandem with Mako’s blood, as I pulled it back and forth over the blockage – forcing it against the corrosion, the wrongness, even as the energy strove to bypass it. It was painful – difficult for me to manipulate, and more difficult for Mako to bear, but it was working. I felt the barrier chip away under my hands as I breathed, as I swayed, churning the energy.

It was hard work, and it was tough work, as I tried to drown out Mako’s pained noises, as he flinched away from my touch. But eventually, eventually –

“It’s done,” I gasped, finally opening my eyes. Bright spots swam in my vision, even as the sun set through the windows of our small room. I fell back, my shoulders hitting a chair as my body ached, the position I had been healing in now ingrained in my joints. “I-I did all I could.”

Through my labored breathing, I watched as Bolin helped his brother to his feet, Asami stumbling to his side, lifting him up as well. Mako groaned, his free hand clutching his forehead, as he wobbled on unsteady legs, stiff from laying down for so long.

“Did… did it work?” Bolin whispered, the only one brave enough to ask the question we were all thinking.

It was silent in the room, as Mako blinked, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward. His legs shook, but he stood tall, raising a single hand to his waist, his palm upward, almost as a question.

The seconds hung in the balance, each one lasting a lifetime, as we waited with bated breath, caught on each heave of Mako’s chest, until he exhaled, forceful, meaningful.

A flame ignited in his palm, burning bright and high, a pillar of fire rising from his hand as I gasped, and Bolin screamed in triumph, Asami hugging the earthbender tight to her chest, the look of disbelief on her face unlike anything I had ever seen.

Through that flame, Mako caught my eye. And he nodded to me. A short, subtle thing – but I understood it. _Thank you_ , it said _. And I’m sorry, for doubting you_.

I nodded back, caught in the trance, until Bolin snapped us all out of it.

“We have to go tell Katara!” He cried, and I scrambled to my feet, stumbling over them as the four of us tumbled out of the room and into the snow.

We almost broke down the door to Katara’s healing hut – the room already packed with people. Pema and the children had arrived in the larger waiting room, along with Tenzin, Beifong, and Korra’s parents. They all jumped in shock as we barreled inside, our heavy panting deafening in the silent room.

“W-What is the meaning of this!” Tenzin cried, the irritation rolling off of him in waves. “Katara needs her full concentration to heal Korra, and that means-“

Mako stepped directly in front of Tenzin, leveling a fist directly in front of him, before igniting his firebending. The flame sparked harshly in the dim light, and the gathered parties cried out in shock.

“Taro can heal Korra,” Mako deadpanned, the flame disappearing as he lowered his fist. “She restored my bending. Only a blood healer can undo Amon’s damage.”

Tenzin was open mouthed as he turned to me – as they all turned to me, the expressions on their faces unreadable.

“Taro,” Tenzin addressed me, low and quiet. “Is this true? Can you heal Korra?”

“I healed Mako,” I replied, stepping forward, my head held high. I felt weak, and unsteady on my own feet, but I knew that I couldn’t back down now. That Korra still needed me. “I can try.”

The crowd parted for me as I stepped forward, their eyes on me as I opened the door to the healing room. I only looked back once – and when I did, I caught the eyes of Mako, and Bolin, and Asami. Mako, determined and steady. Asami, concerned and flighty, wringing her hands in front of her. And Bolin – Bolin, who was smiling at me like I had already done what I came here to do. I breathed deeply, inclining my head at the crowd in a stiff bow, before I finally entered the room.

The lighting was low, but the soft click of the door alerted Kya of my presence, as she turned to me with a furrowed brow. Behind her, Korra was sitting cross-legged, trying to turn around and see what was going on, even as Katara tried to heal her.

“Taro?” Kya asked, an eyebrow raised. I waved awkwardly – she had been just as much my teacher as Katara was, and I hadn’t seen her in years. It was strange to be together like this again, especially under such circumstances.

“It’s great to see you, kid, but Katara needs to focus here. It’s better if you wait outside with the others,” Kya warned me, but I shook my head.

“No, I’m not here to bother you. I’m here to help,” I insisted, not moving even though Kya stood tall in front of me, her arms crossed.

“Three healers in the hut is a little like too many cooks in the kitchen. I’m glad you want to help, but my mom needs to focus, and-“

“I healed Mako.”

Kya stepped back in shock, her crossed arms falling to her sides. Korra whipped around, disrupting Katara’s healing pattern as she looked at me with wide eyes.

“You did what?” Korra gasped, her eyes wide, her lips twitching into a smile. I tried not to let her joy spread to my own expression – I still didn’t know if I could replicate what I had accomplished before, but I did allow myself a little grin as I shrugged, acting like it was no big deal.

It was then that Katara turned to face me, placing her healing water back in its basin. Her brow furrowed, but she tilted her head to the side curiously as she surveyed me.

“How did you heal him?” Katara asked, as she stepped towards me.

I hung my head, breathing deep. Katara, out of anyone, was the one person who I had hoped would never learn that I was a bloodbender. She had always spoken of the technique as one of pain, hatred, and rage – something horrible that should never be attempted by any waterbender who wished to bring about peace. But I had to push past my own pride. This was bigger than myself.

“I used bloodbending to heal him,” I admitted, clenching my fists. It was too much to look Katara in the eye as I admitted it. “I’m a bloodbender – but I swear, I’m just using it because it’s the only way I know how to fight this. It’s the only thing that’s worked! Please-“

“Taro,” Katara said, softly, crouching down to catch my gaze. I pressed my lips together firmly, swallowing harsh as I finally lifted my head to face her, eye to eye. Waterbender to waterbender.

“You use bloodbending… to heal?” she asked, her head still tilted, as if she was considering what I had said. Korra and Kya only looked on in shock, Kya clutching her heart as I nodded.

“Yes,” I replied, inclining my head in a small bow before continuing. “I didn’t realize that it was bloodbending until only a few weeks ago, but I’ve been healing myself using bloodbending for basically my entire life.”

“So that’s why you were never in our healing huts as a kid. Meanwhile Korra over here was one big bruise her entire childhood,” Kya jabbed a finger in Korra’s direction, her hip popped as her expression changed to a proud grin as she surveyed me. Korra yelled a good-natured “hey!” back in Kya’s direction, but her attention was still focused on me. Her eyes were shining, expectant. Hinging on my own rudimentary bloodbending.

“And how many times have you used your blood healing on others?” Katara asked, calm, simply interested in my answer. I sighed.

“Only twice. Once to heal Bolin’s shoulder. Once to restore Mako’s bending. This will be my third,” my voice shook as I admitted it. I was so inexperienced – I wished I had realized what I was sooner. I wished that maybe I could have studied this under Katara’s supervision, that I could be more useful. This was a shot in the dark.

“Well, for your third, why don’t you show me how it’s done,” Katara nodded at me, a small smile at her lips as she stepped aside. I gawked at her – Katara, the woman who had always told me bloodbending was wrong, had changed her attitude in only a few short moments.

“I- are you sure?” I asked, now hesitant. What if I made a mistake, or hurt Korra – what would my waterbending master think of me?

“I have seen many things in my life,” Katara explained, with a thoughtful expression. “I witnessed the birth of the bloodbending art. I’ve seen it expand beyond any bounds I had ever thought possible – bloodbending without a full moon, bending psychically, removing another person’s bending using the technique. All horrible, deplorable acts. All born out of power, and rage.”

“But Taro. You have managed to do the one thing I had never considered possible – you say you can use bloodbending to heal. To correct those same wrongs that past bloodbenders have inflicted. If it is true, and you do hold that power – I would want nothing more than to see you wield it. To balance the force that is bloodbending.”

Katara looked at me with an expression I had hardly ever seen her wear – except brief, quiet moments, when she sometimes looked at Korra. She looked at me like I held hope for the world.

“Thank you, Katara,” I bowed again, this time deeper, my hands clasped together as I willed my emotions not to get the best of me.

I settled in for my healing, directing Korra to lay down and the two other healers to sit across from me, on the other side of Korra’s body. I relayed to them the basics of what I knew – that Korra had to keep her breathing consistent with mine, or else the blood grip would be incredibly painful. I also warned them of what Mako experienced.

“Even with our breathing synced, this was pretty painful for him,” I told Korra, who looked up at me with determined eyes. “It’s going to hurt. A lot. Do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” Korra replied, with no hesitation in her voice. Her eyes were fierce, full of determination, her jaw set. “I’m ready.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Katara and Kya had much the same job as Bolin did when I healed Mako – they were to keep Korra’s breathing steady as I rooted around inside of her head for the source of the energy blockage, and pushed and pulled her blood, and surrounding energy, until I freed up the area. I had no idea how long it would take this time – I was still weak from the fight, even though I had time to heal myself on the sky bison ride over, plus healing Mako had taken a lot out of me.

After matching rhythms with the healers, I set to work, pressing my thumbs to Korra’s forehead. I thought at least finding the blockage would be easier this time, since I had already performed this on Mako, but –

“Spirits, this isn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before,” I gasped, my eyes still closed as I tried to focus. Korra’s energy was immense, and not only did that make it more difficult me to locate and follow her blood flow, it also meant that her energy twined around her blood differently. It was so tightly packed that it was hard to focus on.

“Healing an Avatar is much different than healing a normal bender,” Katara told me, as Kya continued to hold Korra in a proper breathing pattern. “Especially when it comes to spiritual wounds. An Avatar’s energy and chakras are not so easily realigned.”

“Everything’s so tangled up, so complex-“ I grumbled, brushing through the twisted pathways. “I think – I think I found it,” I gasped, finally zeroing in on the dark aura I had felt before, the blockages I had found in Mako –

“Augh!” Korra screamed, writhing under me. She flinched so hard I lost my grip, falling back onto my butt as Korra gasped.

“I’m sorry – did I hurt you?” I asked. Kya shook her head.

“We were all breathing in sync,” she assured me. Korra looked just as shocked as I felt.

“It wasn’t like bloodbending,” Korra explained, shaking her head. “It was something different. It was like someone was shooting electricity into my body – “

“An energetic channel,” Katara explained, as we placed Korra back into position. “The Avatar has many more of these channels compared to a typical bender, to help contain and regulate the Avatar spirit. This creates an astounding energetic circulation within your body – but it is also incredibly fragile. These channels are the reason why the Avatar state is an Avatar’s most vulnerable position – they create incredibly strong pathways to the vital organs as well as the spiritual chakras. One wrong move while working near such a complex bundle of these pathways, and a healer could paralyze, or even kill you.”

I froze where I was, staring at Katara with a terrified expression. Katara’s own was soft, but sad, as she looked up at me.

“It is difficult even for an advanced healer to navigate these pathways. Taro, I advise that we stop now before you unintentionally harm Korra.”

“No!” Korra yelled, shaking her head as she sat upright. She groaned, holding her forehead and wincing, even as she faced me. “We have to keep going – Taro has to!”

“She needs more training, Korra,” Kya tried to reason with her, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It will take time, but Katara can teach Taro what she needs to know. You won’t be like this forever.”

“I can’t be like this at all!” Korra yelled, thrusting her fists into the floor. “How am I supposed to protect the world if I can’t even bend the elements?”

My eyes were wide as I shot from Korra, to Katara, to Kya, all three women in different states of unrest. Katara was solemn, but sure, while Katara fumed, Kya trying to mediate.

“Korra, I-“ I tried, but she shook her head, holding up a hand to my face. The joyful expression when I had first mentioned my healing abilities had long since gone.

“I’ll tell the others. Korra, this isn’t the end of your journey. You have to be patient,” Kya relayed again, before nodding to her mother and stepping through the doorway. I turned to Katara.

“I can try again. It wasn’t that complicated – if I’m careful – “

“Do you really want to risk her life, Taro?” Katara asked, regarding me with a carefully curated expression even as Korra turned her back on the both of us, her arms crossed. “You need to be patient as well. Mastery of such a complex and new art will not come overnight. It was a miracle that you were able to heal Mako, that you were even able to navigate Korra’s energetic channels to the source of the blockage. You did well.”

Katara patted me on the shoulder as she also rose, following her daughter out of the healing room. I took one last look at Korra – dejected, her shoulders tight as she sat on the floor. And I followed Katara out of the room.

The gathering of friends and family that at one point had looked upon me with shock and awe, now regarded me with pity and distaste, as Katara and I excited the room, Kya stepping aside, having already explained what had happened to the members gathered there.

“Taro – “ Bolin stepped forward, trying to place a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I walked straight past, not even looking at him as I stared out the window, biting my lip as I willed myself not to start sobbing in front of so many people.

Luckily, eyes weren’t on me for long, as the door to the healing room opened once more, the gentle sound ringing out in the confined space as Korra no doubt faced the group of onlookers.

“It’s going to be alright, Korra,” Tenzin promised her, his voice low and calming. The voice of a kind mentor.

“No,” Korra replied, her voice monotone, dead. “It’s not.”

Her footsteps thudded against the wood of the room as Korra pushed through her friends, grabbing her coat and trudging into the snow. I saw her through the window as she left – her shoulders dipped, her posture rigid. I wrapped my arms around myself, hugging myself tight as I watched my friend’s pain. The pain that I had caused her.

I had failed. Perhaps, for the last time.

I balled my fists as I watched Korra trudge towards across the snow, as I watched Mako follow her. I felt my eyes burn as she turned to him in anger – no doubt because I had been able to heal him, but unable to do the same for her.

The room slowly drained of its occupants – first Tenzin and his family, then Korra’s family, their eyes boring into the back of my head as I purposefully stared out the window, as I shielded my silent tears from any onlookers.

The gentle hand on my shoulder made me jump.

“Taro,” Bolin tried again, his voice soft and soothing, his hand warm and firm. And I wanted to push him away, I really did – I didn’t deserve his comfort or his warmth, I didn’t deserve him.

But I was weak. I was weak, and he was the only constant in my life right now – with my best friend shouting obscenities at the boy she loved, said boy having undergone a painful healing session only to be scorned by her. My only other friend stricken by both her father’s death and her boyfriend’s wandering heart, unable to control her own emotions as her sobs sounded on the other side of the room, as she watched Mako chase after a girl who wasn’t her.

My own bending had even betrayed me – bloodbending first a curse, then the only cure, and finally, a burden as I was still unable to save the Avatar.

So, I couldn’t stop myself from retching, from sobbing wet and desperate as I threw myself into Bolin’s arms. I couldn’t see his face, but I heard the air knock out of him as I pressed my cheek to his chest, squeezing him tight as I wrapped my arms around him, desperate to keep him close to me – to not lose him too.

“Hey, it’s gonna be OK,” Bolin mumbled, engulfing me as he returned the hug, his arms tight around me as I cried into his shirt – a far less enjoyable reversal of the night I had taken him out for “sad noodles,” the night we had shared the same bed.

“No it’s not,” I blubbered against him, refusing to let him go – the warmth of him seeping into my skin, as I absorbed the comfort like it was air, like it was the last time I would ever allow myself this small pleasure.

“Don’t say that,” he whispered, trying to stay positive as he rubbed my upper back – the motion only driving me further into his chest, refusing to look at him, to let him see my tears. “Everything’ll work out – Korra’s the Avatar.”

“Is she?” I whispered, my voice cracking, as I clutched him. “Is she still?”

The words hung heavy in the air, as I sobbed harder – it was my fault, it was all my fault. Korra’s Avatar title was the most important thing in her world – it had been her everything from the moment she found out she could bend the elements, it was her pride and joy, the title she strived towards, the title she fought desperately to uphold and stand up to. She spent her entire life comparing herself to Avatar Aang – and now, it had crumbled around her.

And it was because of me. Because I couldn’t bloodbend right. Because I couldn’t break Amon’s blood grip fast enough, because I couldn’t untangle the mess he had made of her spirit. I had ruined her life – and I cried for her, for the pain I had caused her. For the pain my family had caused her.

And Bolin held me. He didn’t even hesitate to rock me back and forth slowly, unafraid to hold me tight even as I cried hard, unabashed, and ugly, into his chest.

I didn’t know how long we stayed like that – how long I poured my soul out as I wailed, how long he held me. The only indication that time had passed at all were the hurried footsteps that clashed as I hiccupped, my sobs finally dying down as the door to the healing hut slammed open.

“Korra’s back!” Ikki yelled, and I pulled away from Bolin to squint at her, confused.

“What?” I asked, as Asami raised an eyebrow. Ikki hopped up and down, flapping her hands excitedly.

“Korra’s back! Her bending’s back! Come on!”

Ikki didn’t wait up, instead flying down the stairs and across the snow, aided by her airbending. I could see in the distance, a few spots of color – one blue, and one a dark red. Korra – and Mako.

I shared a glance with Bolin, and he shot me a cocky half-grin.

“I told you it would be OK,” he grinned, and I bit my lip, trying not to laugh, because I knew it would lead to a sob rather than a chuckle. I settled for a soft punch to his shoulder before Bolin laughed and grabbed my hand – stopping to grab ahold to Asami as well, throwing us into the snow as Korra and Mako returned.

My heart beat wild in my chest as they came into view. Was what Ikki said true? Or had Mako simply brought Korra back from whatever lonely walk she had set out on? Was she really cured, or had she simply come to terms with her new normal – ?

But as Bolin dragged me along, and I tripped through the snow, Their faces took shape, and I could clearly see it – bright smiles, huge smiles, as they held hands, and when they spotted us, Korra broke into a sprint, Mako following soon after.

“I can bend again!” Korra screamed over the howl of the wind, and I howled, my shout of joy animalistic as Korra flew into my arms and I squeezed her tight – Bolin using this opportunity to scoop us both off out feet, the screech leaving us carrying across the tundra as Bolin set us down and Korra pulled Asami and Mako into the hug as well, squeezing us together tightly, all of us laughing in a wild, uninhibited cackle that spoke of nothing other than pure joy – relief and wonder as Korra pulled back and danced flames through her fingers, over her arms as she shrieked in happiness.

We were soon joined by Tenzin and everyone else – his family, Katara and Kya, Korra’s family, and Beifong.

“Chief Beifong!” Korra yelled, and we stood aside to let her run towards the chief, still panting from her wild laughter.

“I can heal you,” she relayed, her eyes sparkling like nothing I had ever seen. “I can give you your bending back.”

Beifong’s eyes widened, and she nodded swiftly to Korra, believing her without a second of hesitation.

“What do you need me to do?” she asked, and we gathered around them in a circle, as Korra directed Beifong to kneel in front of her, so Korra could reach her forehead and the center of her chest.

Korra pressed one thumb to each point, breathing deeply – and something amazing happened. Pure energy flowed from Korra and into Beifong, filling her up with white light, until Korra stepped back, allowing Beifong the space to stand once more.

“Did it work?” Bolin whispered behind me, and I stifled an eye roll as Beifong gathered her strength, and punched outward.

The earth underneath the snow rumbled in response to her bending – three huge boulders rising, the snow falling off of them in chunks as Beifong bent the rocks to her will. I screamed, and the rest of us cheered – Korra’s smile infectious, as Beifong lowered the boulders and faced Korra – her expression soft.

“Thank you,” she said, low, and sincere. Korra smiled at her – wide and goofy, so proud, as she bowed to Beifong low, pressing her hands together as she went.

As Korra rose from her bow, Tenzin stepped forward, his eyes watering as he moved, shining with so much adoration and pride.

“I’m proud of you,” he smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, nodding to her. “Avatar Korra.”

Korra’s eyes lit up, and she cried out Tenzin’s name as she threw herself into his arms, hugging him hard as he laughed at her enthusiasm. I grinned at their reunion, my heart full as Korra not only bent the elements – but as she used her Avatar spirit, the one thing he had always struggled with to manifest and control.

It filled me up with pride, with honor, to see Korra move beyond who she once was – and into someone new. Someone stronger, someone better for the hardships she had suffered, for the price she had to pay.

I hoped that one day, I could do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story - to all of you that have bookmarked, left kudos, and especially to you who have left such nice comments. I may nto always respond to them, but I appreciate them more than you know.
> 
> This may be the end of the first book of Blood Is Thicker Than Water, but it's not the end of Taro's story - I'm planning on writing Book 2, and releasing it sometime in December or January at the latest. Feel free to follow the series, or my page for future updates on the series. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this story, and that you'll stick with me for the next chapter!


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